Progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say

U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn’t been reached yet, officials said Monday.

Four officials acknowledged that progress has been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the talks.

A US official briefed on the negotiations said all sides are “closer than we’ve ever been, but it could still fall apart.” The official declined to predict the timing of a potential agreement because he said it is just too uncertain, with multiple moving parts still in play.

Two other officials, including one associated with Hamas, said that there were still a number of hurdles to clear. On several occasions over the past year, U.S. leaders have said that they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.