Hamas has accepted a draft ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said Tuesday. Officials from the United States and Qatar, who are involved in negotiations to reach a ceasefire, said Israel and the Palestinian militant group were close to signing a deal that would bring them one step closer to ending the 15-month war.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. An Israeli official said progress had been made but details were being finalized. The three officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
"I believe we will reach a ceasefire agreement," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech on Tuesday, stressing that it depends on Hamas . "We are on the verge of an agreement. We are closer than ever before, and it could happen within hours or days ," he said.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar made major efforts last year to broker a deal to end the war, which would secure the release of dozens of hostages seized by Hamas militants in the October 7, 2023 attack. Nearly 100 hostages are still being held by the militants inside Gaza, and the military believes at least a third of them are dead.
Officials have expressed optimism before, which has ended in deadlocked negotiations and blame-shifting between the warring parties. But now they suggest they could finalize a deal before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20. Mr. Trump's Middle East envoy has joined the negotiations.
Hamas said in a statement that the negotiations had reached their "final stage."/VOA (A2 Televizion)
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