White House engages Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt in cease-fire talks for Gaza

The White House announced Monday that it is actively engaged in discussions with Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a cease-fire aimed at ending Israel’s extended military conflict in Gaza, now lasting over a year.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby emphasized the U.S. commitment to resolving the conflict. “100% of our energy and effort is being put into this,” Kirby said, pointing to Hamas as the primary obstacle. “We believe that they should see how isolated and weakened they are. It’s time for them to come to the table.”

The remarks followed reports of over 200 deaths in Israeli airstrikes on northern Gaza Saturday. Since Israel began its large-scale ground offensive in Gaza on Oct. 5, over 44,400 Palestinians have been killed, with most victims being women and children, according to Palestinian and UN figures.

The ongoing war has left Gaza devastated, with international aid agencies warning of an impending humanitarian disaster. The situation worsened when aid, including food and medicine, was blocked for nearly two months.

The conflict has also led to international legal actions, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces genocide charges at the International Court of Justice.