Israel, Hamas ‘close to ceasefire, hostage deal’

Reports have indicated that Israel and Hamas are close to reaching a ceasefire-hostage deal—a significant breakthrough amid months of fighting. 

An official familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that mediators gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of a deal on Monday to end the war in Gaza.

The official said the “breakthrough” was reached after midnight.

Quoting Israeli officials, Bloomberg also reported that the Jewish nation said they presented a detailed outline to Hamas and are awaiting approval for final talks.

A Hamas official agreed that a deal is closer than ever.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security advisor, said a possible Gaza agreement is expected as soon as this week.

“We’ve been close before and haven’t gotten across the finish line,” Sullivan said at an event in Washington hosted by Bloomberg News.

“Can we get to a final agreement, and then can we begin implementing it in the coming days? It’s there for the taking. So, the question is, now, can we all collectively seize the moment and make this happen?

Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, also validated the reports.

At a press conference in Jerusalem, Saar said, “progress was made”.

“Israel wants a hostage deal. Israel is working with our American friends in order to achieve a hostage deal, and soon we will know whether the other side wants the same thing,” the minister said.

However, according to the reports, several sticking points remain.

They include Hamas’ demands that Israel withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow strip of land along the Egypt-Gaza border, and commit to a permanent ceasefire rather than a temporary halt to the military operations.

Israeli officials argued that all hostages must be returned and a mass return to northern Gaza should be prevented in any framework for a deal.

The optimistic deal, if successful, will go down as a major achievement for US President Joe Biden in his last days in office before President-elect Donald Trump takes over next Monday.

Trump has warned that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if the remaining hostages, who have been held in Gaza after being taken captive in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks, are not released before he assumes office.