WASHINGTON, The US Department of State expressed hope that the Gaza ceasefire talks would move forward "as they should." "Our point of view is that all negotiators should return to the table and bring this deal to conclusion," Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the Dept. Vedant Patel told reporters on Wednesday. "It is far time for the remaining hostages to be released, which of course include American citizens, and bring relief to the people of Gaza under the deal that is now on the table," he said, adding, "Our Qatari partners have assured us that there will be representation from Hamas." Commenting on reports that Israel uses Palestinians as human shields, Patel said, "These reports are disturbing and we would urge Israel to immediately and transparently investigate these allegations and hold any potential perpetrators accountable." "Israel has a responsibility to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. "But I also just want to stress -- that they are just reports at this point a nd that is why we would encourage Israel to look into what's going on," he added. Source : Kuwait News Agency