Qatari, Egyptian and US leaders called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent talks on August 15 in Doha or Cairo to address all remaining gaps in a proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement and begin its implementation without delay.

Israel-Gaza War: Israel has agreed to take part in stalled Gaza ceasefire talks on August 15 at the behest of the US, Qatari and Egyptian leaders, even as mediators urged Palestinian terror group Hamas to do the same and conclude a ceasefire deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Thursday that the Jewish state has agreed to resume Gaza ceasefire talks – brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt – to be held on August 15 in Doha or Cairo.

In a joint statement, Qatari, Egyptian and US leaders called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent talks on August 15 in Doha or Cairo to resolve all remaining loopholes in the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement and begin its implementation without delay.

“Now is the time to complete the ceasefire agreement and release the hostages and prisoners,” the statement said.

Israel to send 'negotiation team'

After a week-long truce in November last year, US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators tried to secure a second ceasefire in the 10-month war that began with an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7 on Israel.

A framework agreement “was now on the table, with only implementation details” remaining to be concluded and mediators “prepared to present a final bridging proposal” to resolve remaining issues, the three countries said in a joint statement issued on Thursday.

Later in the day, Netanyahu's office said Israel would send a negotiating team on August 15 “to an agreed location to conclude the implementation details of an agreement.”

A possible end to hostilities in Gaza that includes the release of hostages and the delivery of large-scale aid is centered on a phased agreement that begins with an initial cease-fire.

Recent discussions have focused on a framework US President Joe Biden gave in late May that he said was proposed by Israel.

“It's not like the agreement is going to be signed on Thursday. A senior Biden administration official spoke about the discussions after calls between Biden and the Egyptian and Qatari leaders this week.

Israel was “very receptive” to the idea of ​​talks, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, rejecting suggestions that Netanyahu was stalling on a deal.

The talks were announced after Hamas named Yahya Sinwar – the alleged mastermind of the October 7 attack – as its new leader, raising fears that the fraught negotiations have become even more difficult.

18 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza schools

Meanwhile, hostilities continue in war-torn Gaza, with the Strip's Hamas-controlled Civil Defense Agency saying the latest Israeli bombardment killed more than 18 people in attacks on two schools on Thursday, as Iran accused Israel of spreading war across the Middle East. .

The agency said more than 18 people were killed in Israeli strikes on al-Zahra and Abdel Fattah Hamoud schools in Gaza City.

Mohammed al-Mughair, a senior official at the agency, said 60 people were injured and more than 40 were still missing.

“It is a clear target of schools and secure civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

The Israeli military said the schools housed Hamas command centers.

Elsewhere in Gaza, at least 13 people were killed, rescuers and medics reported, as the Israeli army issued its latest evacuation order for parts of the main southern city of Khan Younis.

(with AFP input)