Gaza Cease-Fire Negotiations Advance as Israel-Hamas War Grinds On
- US official sees ‘promise’ in negotiations now underway
- Qatar, Egypt and US push two sidess toward agreement
An Israeli army battle tank moves at a position along the border between southern Israeli and the Gaza Strip on Jan. 31.
Photographer: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
Negotiations are advancing for an agreement to pause the Israel-Hamas war and free civilian hostages captured by Hamas, people familiar with the matter said, in a deal that those involved believe could be a crucial step toward ending the four-month conflict.
The people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said conversations are still in the early stages and a breakthrough isn’t expected in the coming days. Even so, they said the proposal — which would amount to the longest pause and the biggest hostage release since the war began Oct. 7 — has a realistic chance of success and could lead to a longer-term cease-fire.