Mediators ‘preparing to implement ceasefire deal before final agreement’

Mediators are preparing to implement a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war before a final agreement is set, a US official said on Friday.

The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the proposal currently on the table basically bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas.

A new “implementation cell” was being established in Cairo, which would focus on the deal’s logistics, including releasing the hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and monitoring that the terms of the deal are met, the official said.

The comments come after mediators expressed hope for an imminent deal.

Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators’ efforts, and a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposed deal to end the devastating 10-month war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages held in the territory.

A ceasefire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict.

But US President Joe Biden sounded optimistic, saying “We are closer than we’ve ever been” to an agreement.

Mr Biden has expressed optimism for a deal before, only for talks to break down.

“We may have something,” he told reporters on Friday. “But we’re not there yet.”

Both sides had agreed in principle to the plan Mr Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to scupper a deal.

Hamas has rejected Israel’s demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants.

The statement from the mediators – Qatar, the US and Egypt – said US officials had presented a proposal that would bridge the gaps remaining between both sides’ positions. Teams will continue working in the coming days on how to implement the specifics of the proposal, they said.

“Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today,” the statement said.

Hamas quickly cast doubt on whether an agreement was within reach.

In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from the previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not disposed to accept it.

The Israeli prime minister’s office issued a statement saying it “appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal”.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend to “continue intensive diplomatic efforts” to reach a ceasefire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

Blinken was expected to meet with Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the new deal, said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with official requirements.

The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders.

International mediators believe the best hope for calming tensions would be a deal between Israel and Hamas to halt the fighting and secure the release of Israeli hostages.

International diplomacy to prevent the war from spreading intensified on Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the heavily guarded border on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza.

More than 100 were released during a week-long ceasefire in November, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead.

Israel’s devastating retaliatory offensive has killed 40,005 Palestinians, Gaza’s health ministry said on Thursday, without saying how many were militants.

Israel’s military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said on Thursday that Israel had killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants in Gaza in the war, without providing evidence.

While talks were ongoing, Israel continued its offensive in Gaza.

On Friday it dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate from areas in northern Khan Younis and eastern Deir al-Balah, saying forces plan to respond to rocket fire that targeted Israel.

After the orders were given, airstrikes hit some areas of Khan Younis, sending people fleeing. A video shows plumes of black smoke rising into the air after loud booms.