Gaza ceasefire closer than ever as Israel, Hamas work on final details

The ball is now in Hamas's court. If Hamas accepts, the deal is ready to be concluded and implemented. ANTONY BLINKEN, US Secretary of State

- Agencies

DOHA/CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Negotiators were meeting in Qatar on Tuesday hoping to finalize a plan to end the war in Gaza, after US President Joe Biden indicated a ceasefire and hostage release deal was close, after 15 months of conflict that upended the Middle East.

More than six hours after talks began there was still no word on an outcome.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a news conference that the talks on the final details were underway and this was the closest point to a deal reached over the past months.

Hamas said the talks had reached the final steps and that it hoped this round of negotiations would lead to a deal after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

An Israeli official said talks had reached a critical phase although some details needed to be hammered out: "We are close, we are not there yet."

Militant group Islamic Jihad, which is separate from Hamas and also holds hostages in Gaza, said it was sending a senior delegation that would arrive in Doha on Tuesday night to take part in final arrangements for a ceasefire deal.