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US and regional mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn’t been reached yet, officials said Monday.
ADVERTISEMENTMediators reportedly presented Israel and Hamas with a final draft of a deal on Monday, which they hope will end the ongoing war between the two in Gaza. Officials said US and regional mediators made significant progress overnight towards brokering a ceasefire in the conflict and the release of scores of hostages held in Gaza, but that a deal hasn’t been reached yet. Four officials acknowledged that progress had been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilised the Middle East. These officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorised to discuss the talks. One US official said all sides were “closer than we’ve ever been, but it could still fall apart.” The official declined to predict the timing of a potential agreement because he said it was too uncertain. Another person familiar with the talks claimed there had been a breakthrough overnight and that there was a proposed deal on the table. Israeli and Hamas negotiators will now take it back to their leaders for final approval, the person said. An Egyptian official said all sides were aiming for a deal before Trump’s inauguration next Monday. Asked about talks at a press conference, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “progress had been made, and I hope that within a short time we will see things happening. But it is still to be proven.” A Hamas official said a number of contentious issues still needed to be resolved, including Israel’s commitment to ending the war and details about the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the hostage-prisoner exchange. Egypt, Qatar and the Biden administration have spent more than a year trying to broker an agreement to end the deadliest war ever fought in Gaza and secure the release of hostages captured in Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the conflict. On several occasions over the past year, US leaders have said they were close to reaching a deal. A phased ceasefire is now under discussion. Netanyahu has repeatedly signalled that he is committed only to the first phase, which would involve a partial hostage release in exchange for a weekslong halt in fighting. The possibility of a lasting ceasefire and other issues would be negotiated after the first phase begins. Hamas has demanded a full withdrawal and a complete end to the war and is hoping that this first phase will lead to that outcome.
