According to IRNA, Miller told reporters on Tuesday local time that Hamas's recent response to the ceasefire proposals shows the resistance movement's eagerness on reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
"Achieving a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is in Israel's interest," the spokesperson stated, calling it the best way to prevent the escalation of tensions in northern Israel, a reference to strikes by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Israeli positions in support of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, an American official, on the condition of anonymity, told the Axios website that progress has been made in the negotiations in Cairo regarding the Gaza ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas.
Citing four Israeli and American officials, this American media announced that William Burns, head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Brett McGurk, Biden's senior advisor on the Middle East affairs, met with senior Israeli and Egyptian intelligence officials on Monday in Cairo to discuss the Gaza ceasefire agreement, the release of prisoners and arrangements for securing the Egyptian-Gaza border.
The border arrangements between Egypt and Gaza and the reopening of the Rafah crossing are key issues before a possible agreement on prisoners’ swap and a ceasefire, Axios wrote on Monday about the focus of the negotiations between the senior Israeli and American officials in Cairo.
McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, arrived in Cairo on Monday with William Burns. A high-ranking Israeli delegation headed by the director of Israel's Shin Bet spy agency also arrived in Cairo on Monday.
Burns and McGurk will hold trilateral talks with the Egyptians and Israelis as well as separate meetings. The two American officials will focus on the agreement on the release of prisoners and the ceasefire, and issues related to the Rafah crossing and Gaza border security.
After the talks in Cairo, McGurk is expected to travel to the occupied territories to meet with Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the Israeli war minister. Burns will travel to Doha on Wednesday to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and Israel's Mossad chief David Barnia to discuss the ceasefire agreement.
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