JERUSALEM — A U.S. official said Friday that mediators are preparing to implement a Gaza cease-fire and hostage-swap deal to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war before a final agreement is set.
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 the releasing the hostages, providing humanitarian 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. They said two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting.
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 war and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. A cease-fire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict.
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But U.S. President Joe Biden seemed optimistic, saying, “We are closer than we’ve ever been” to an agreement.
Biden has expressed optimism for a deal before, only for talks to break down.
“We may have something,” Biden told reporters Friday. “But we’re not there yet.”
