US/Qatar/Egypt Call For Aug 15 Meeting To Finalise Gaza Ceasefire Deal

US President Joe Biden, along with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, issued ajoint statement calling for a meeting on August 15 to close “remaining gaps” on a US-backed ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas.

• The statement reads: “...our teams have worked tirelessly over many months to forge a framework agreement that is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude.”
• “It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement. As mediators, if necessary, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties.
• “We have called on both sides to resume urgent discussion on Thursday, August 15 in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.”
• The statement comes as the Middle East remains braced for a response from Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran to extraterritorial strikes which killed two senior officials last week. Despite elevated tensions, US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House NSC spox John Kirby, have remaining bullish that the deal is in the "final stages."
• Although some reports suggest that Iran may be rethinking their response, the risk from Hezbollah, considered likely to strike first, remains acute. Semafor notes: “Israel’s security council met Thursday night to prepare for Iran’s response, heightening fears of a wider war in the region.”