Gaza ceasefire talks: The main sticking points

JERUSALEM/CAIRO Aug 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel stepping up diplomatic pressure in a last-ditch attempt to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal.

The marathon talks, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, are set to resume this week in Cairo, following a two-day meeting in Doha last week that was focused on bridging proposals introduced by Washington.

Major gaps between Israel and Hamas persist, however, according to Israeli, Palestinian and other sources familiar with the talks, and public statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas.

Hamas wants an agreement that will guarantee an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu has pledged "total victory" and wants the right to resume fighting in the Palestinian enclave until Hamas no longer poses any threat to Israelis.

Hamas seeks a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow 14.5-km-long (nine-mile) stretch of land along the coastal enclave's southern border with Egypt.

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