US Official: Gaza Ceasefire Deal Nearing Completion

Negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage release deal are in their “closing stages,” according to a U.S. official, ahead of discussions between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden aims to address some “final gaps” during his talks with Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, but key aspects, including the hostages’ fate, remain under Hamas’s control, the senior administration official noted.

“We believe it’s in the closing stages and a deal is closeable,” said the U.S. official on Wednesday, speaking anonymously in a call previewing Netanyahu’s visit.

The official mentioned that there would be “a lot of activity in the coming week” towards achieving a long-sought deal, emphasizing that an agreement is “not only possible, it’s essential and necessary.”

Despite Netanyahu’s fiery speech to Congress on Wednesday, where he vowed “total victory,” the U.S. official indicated that talks with Biden would focus more on the practical aspects of a deal.

The potential truce now depends on resolving several issues related to the deal’s implementation, with Hamas having relaxed its demand for a complete Israeli withdrawal, the official explained.

“I don’t expect the meeting with Netanyahu to be a straightforward yes or no; it’s more about ‘how do we close these final gaps?’ And there are some things we need from the Israeli side, no question,” the official said. “But there are also critical elements that only Hamas can address because the hostages are in their hands.”

A Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 resulted in 1,197 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 114 are still being held in the Gaza Strip, including 42 who the military believes are dead.

Since the conflict began, more than 39,100 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to data from the health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza.