Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said on Saturday that a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel is “closer than ever”, provided Israel does not impose new conditions. Last week, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas mediated by Qatar,

During its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups took about 250 people hostages and brought them to Gaza. A previous truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.

Reports also surfaced of an Israeli delegation heading to Cairo to further talks, which have since been denied by Israeli officials.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the pressure is on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to move forward with the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, arguing the group’s support from its allies in

Hamas has become the latest party to the Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations to voice optimism about the prospects of reaching a deal, amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region.

After months of deadlock, Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer toward a ceasefire to end their 14-month war.

The White House was hoping for a Middle East ceasefire deal by Christmas but it doesn't look like that will happen with fighting picking up once again in the Gaza Strip.