Evening Report — Israel demurs after Hamas agrees to cease-fire deal

Negotiations over a cease-fire deal in Gaza have hit a “critical stage,” as Israeli and Hamas leaders continue to work on a proposal. Dr. Basem Naim, Hamas’s head of political and international relations, confirmed to The Hill on Monday that Hamas had communicated with mediators in Egypt and Qatar that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal. Israeli Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement that the current proposal put forth by Hamas “has significant gaps” and “is far from Israel’s necessary requirements.” “Despite this, we continue to turn over every...