Well, in the last few minutes, the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, have put out a statement on the Middle East. They said, We express our full support for ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, and they stressed there was no further time to lose. They then called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel. The Pentagon says the US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East. He's also told an aircraft carrier strike group to sail to the area immediately and more quickly. While the deployment of additional fighter jets and warships was announced earlier this month, as Washington seeks to bolster its presence following an escalation in violence between Israel and Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah. Our correspondent, Wira Davis, explains in terms of talks what might be likely or possible this week.

Yeah, well, there's calls for and hopes for the resumption, the restart of indirect talks mediated by the Qataris, the Egyptians, and the Americans between Hamas and Israel that might lead to peace talks and might lead to an end to the fighting temporarily and a release of hostages. We've got a long way before we get to that point. There are those hardliners in the Israeli government who are opposed to any deal yet between Israel and Hamas. The new Hamas leader, Yaya Sinwa, is said to be reluctant to agree to some of the new terms terms that Israel is putting forward. We're not quite sure what those Israeli terms are. There's no sense yet that these talks will definitely happen, either in Cairo or Qatar, later this week. But as you intimated there, there is increasing international pressure for a resumption of those talks because of the increasing tensions and threats in the region. More people, of course, being killed in Gaza. Israel continuing its military operation against Hamas in Gaza. Hopes, but still some concerns concerns that those talks might not even start.

Roura Davis there in Jerusalem.