Cairo, Jan 13: US and Arab 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 has not been reached yet, officials said Monday.
Three officials acknowledged progress has been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the talks.
One of the three officials and a Hamas official said there were still a number of hurdles to clear. On several occasions over the past year, US officials have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.
One person familiar with the talks said 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.
The person said mediators from the Gulf country of Qatar had put renewed pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement, while President-elect Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, was pressing the Israelis. Witkoff recently joined the negotiations and has been in the region in recent days.
Hamas claims killed over 10 Israeli soldiers
Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, claimed on Monday that it has killed more than 10 Israeli soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip during the past 72 hours.
After more than 100 days of the “comprehensive destruction and genocide carried out by the Israeli army, our members are still dealing it harsh blows,” Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Brigades, said on the social media platform Telegram. (Agencies)
