The White House said Friday that ceasefire talks in Cairo were constructive and would continue over the weekend as the United States and Middle East allies continue to pressure Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement.

CIA Director William Burns and Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden's top Middle East adviser, are leading the US side of the negotiations, which began Thursday amid major disagreements between Israel and Hamas over Israel's insistence on keeping its forces in two strategic corridors in Gaza.

Diplomatic efforts have intensified as fears of a wider regional war grow after recent targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.

"Progress has been made, and we now need both sides to come together and work toward implementation," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, according to the Associated Press.

Kirby did not specify where progress had been made, but insisted that there was momentum in talks between mediators from the United States and Israel and Hamas interlocutors Egypt and Qatar.

Israel and Hamas have been at odds over the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt and the Netzarim corridor running east to west across the area. Hamas demands a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Netanyahu insists on the principle that Israel will control the Philadelphi Corridor, in order to prevent Hamas from rearming and repeating the atrocities committed in the October 7 attack on Israel. He also denied reports that Israel would be willing to accept an international force in the corridor.

Hamas responded on Friday that Netanyahu was "preventing any chance of reaching a ceasefire agreement."

Asked if Netanyahu was negotiating in good faith, Kirby noted that Biden had a "constructive" conversation with Netanyahu on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

“We are in Cairo. They are in Cairo,” Kirby said. “We need to engage Hamas. We need to get down to the nitty-gritty. That’s what we’re focused on here.”

Biden said last week he was “optimistic” a deal could be reached after speaking by phone with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The conversation came after a round of negotiations in Doha that White House officials said showed promise that a deal was close.

But by Tuesday, Biden was more cautious about the prospects of the two sides reaching an agreement anytime soon. “Hamas is backing down now,” he told reporters after speaking at the Democratic convention, but the United States “will continue to push” for a ceasefire.

Biden took time out from his family vacation in Santa Ynez, California, on Wednesday to speak with Netanyahu. The White House said Biden "stressed the need to reach a ceasefire and release the hostages."

Biden made clear to Netanyahu that Hamas and Israel would need to make concessions, according to a person familiar with the leaders’ call who spoke on condition of anonymity about the private conversation.