US To Push For "Final" Gaza Ceasefire Agreement In Coming Days

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller has told reporters that a "final proposal" for a Gaza ceasefire agreement will be presented "as soon as we have something that we think can get there." Miller says the negotiations have been a "whole of government" initiative primarily led by CIA Director Bill Burns with intelligence counterparts from the Israel, Egypt, and Qatar.

• Miller says he "doesn't believe there are any talks going on today," but caveats the comment by saying "maybe others in the government can speak to [non-State Department related talks]."
• Miller: “Over the coming days, the United States will continue to engage with our partners in the region to push for a final agreement. During talks last week, we made progress on dealing with the obstacles that remain, but ultimately, finalizing an agreement will require both sides to show flexibility."
• Miller: "It will require that both sides look for reasons to get to yes rather than reasons to say no."
• Asked if the "final" nomenclature means the US will walk away from talks if the proposal fails, Miller says: "We don't want the proposal to fail, we want our proposal to go forward." When pressed, Miller says: "Ultimately, the US cannot commit to this agreement. We are not a party to this conflict. It requires Israel and Hamas to make difficult decisions to reach an agreement. What we will continue to do... is to impress on those parties why an agreement is in their interests."