Mediators worked on Wednesday to finalize a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that would release hostages held in Gaza and halt fighting in the devastating war.
Neither Israeli nor Hamas officials have publicly confirmed their position on the cease-fire proposal. Israeli and U.S. officials have said they were waiting for a final response from Hamas.
The Palestinian group said on Tuesday that the negotiations had entered the “final stages.” But there were still doubts about whether both sides would ultimately agree, after earlier talks failed to secure a deal.
What is the state of the talks?
The U.S. secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, said on Tuesday that Israel and Hamas were “right on the brink” of agreeing to a deal to pause the fighting in Gaza and release hostages held there in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
He and diplomats from other mediating countries, including Qatar and Egypt, have for months failed to reach a breakthrough in talks, but they have made progress quickly in recent weeks.
“On Sunday, the United States, Qatar and Egypt put forward a final proposal,” Mr. Blinken said. “The ball is now in Hamas’ court.”
Mediators “managed to minimize a lot of the disagreements between both parties,” Majed al-Ansari, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesman, said, adding that they were focused on “the final details of reaching an agreement.”
Officials in both the Israeli government and Hamas have suggested that they are ready to move forward if the other side signs off.
On Monday, a Hamas official had said a deal was possible in the coming days as long as Israel did not suddenly change its positions. On Tuesday, an Israeli official said Israel was ready to close the deal and was waiting for Hamas to make a decision.
What does the proposal say?
Given the sensitive, continuing negotiations, officials have been wary of describing the proposed agreement except in broad terms.
The framework of the deal was heavily inspired by previous proposals discussed in May and July, said one diplomat familiar with the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the volatile negotiations. Those proposals detailed a three-stage cease-fire in which Israeli troops would gradually withdraw from Gaza, as Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinians jailed by Israel.
Israeli officials hope to secure the release of at least some of the approximately 100 remaining hostages who have been held in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that started the war. About 35 of the remaining hostages are presumed dead by the Israeli authorities.
Hamas leaders want to end Israel’s military campaign, secure the entry of materials for reconstruction and gain the freedom of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
During the first phase of the proposed cease-fire — which would last roughly six weeks — Hamas would release 33 named hostages, most of whom Israel believes are alive, said an Israeli official, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks. Israel is willing to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange, the official said, but the number depends on how many of the hostages are still alive.
Why have talks moved forward in recent weeks?
Some officials have suggested that the change in U.S. administrations, set to take place on Jan. 20, put pressure on Israel and Hamas to accelerate their decision-making after months of delay.
The incoming U.S. president, Donald J. Trump, has warned that there will be “all hell to pay” unless the hostages are freed by the time he becomes president. Steve Witkoff, his pick for Middle East envoy, has also made trips to Qatar and Israel.
The talks have also gained momentum since Israel reached a separate cease-fire agreement with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began firing rockets into Israel immediately after the Hamas-led attack of October 2023. Battered badly by its escalating conflict with Israel, Hezbollah agreed to a cease-fire with Israel in November, a deal that helped isolate Hamas.
