Israel and Hamas 'nearing ceasefire' as peace in Gaza 'closer than ever'
17 December 2024, 21:48
Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer to a Gaza ceasefire despite Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting reports he is heading to Cairo for talks.
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After months of deadlock, there is encouragement a ceasefire and hostage release deal is nearing, with a senior Palestinian official involved in the indirect negotiations saying talks were in a "decisive and final phase".
Meanwhile, Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, has also said an agreement is closer than ever.
This comes despite Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office rejecting claims that he is heading to the Egyptian capital for talks.
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A deal is expected to be signed in the coming days, according to Reuters.
But Mr Netanyahu's spokesperson messaged journalists to say: "The prime minister is not in Cairo."
Meanwhile, Hamas said a Gaza ceasefire deal is possible but only if Israel does not set new conditions.
This comes after the number of deaths in Gaza in the Israel-Hamas war passed 45,000 people this week, according to Palestinian officials.
More than 100 hostages have been freed through negotiations or Israeli military rescue operations but 96 are still held in Gaza. 62 are assumed by Israel to still be alive.
In recent weeks, the US, Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts and reported greater willingness by both sides to reach a deal.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with Fox News the US believed the parties were getting closer to a ceasefire.
He told the broadcaster: "We believe - and the Israelis have said this - that we're getting closer, and no doubt about it, we believe that, but we also are cautious in our optimism.
"We've been in this position before where we weren't able to get it over the finish line."
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A round of talks in mid-October failed to produce a deal, with Hamas rejecting a short-term ceasefire proposal.
According to his spokesman, Katz told members of the Israeli parliament's foreign affairs committee on Monday: "We have not been this close to an agreement on the hostages since the previous deal," referring to an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners in Israel in November 2023.
