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

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.

- Agencies

DOHA/CAIRO/JERUSALEM:

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.

Qatari mediators had given Israel and Hamas a final draft of a text for a ceasefire and release of hostages agreement on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after what he described as a midnight breakthrough in talks in Doha.