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‘Difficult Decisions’: Ceasefire, hostage deal possible ‘in days’

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“We are approaching the stage of making the difficult decisions,” says Israeli official.

By World Israel News Staff

An Egyptian official said on Monday morning that Israel and Hamas are closer than ever to reaching a deal which would end the ongoing fighting in the Gaza Strip and secure the release some some 130 hostages, some of whom are dead, who are being held in the coastal enclave.

The unnamed source told Hebrew-language outlet Mako that the Israeli delegation departed Cairo after several days of intense talks, and is expected to return “within two days to finalize” the terms of the final agreement.

The official added that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the basic points of the deal, and that talks have progressed quickly in recent days.

The reason for the advancement of the Cairo talks, after several rounds of stalled negotiations in Qatar, is American pressure, according to the Mako report.

Numerous media statements from the Biden administration have made it clear that the U.S. is pushing Israel to process additional humanitarian aid into the Strip and wrap up its military operation.

But Washington is also reportedly putting heavy pressure on Qatar, who are in turn threatening to no longer provide funds to Hamas and Gazan families.

Hamas is said to have dropped its demand for a permanent end to the war and complete withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Strip, which was previously a major sticking point in the negotiations.

“These are critical hours. We have reached the moment of truth,” a senior Israeli official with direct knowledge of the negotiations told Mako.

“We will know soon if we are going to make a deal or not. We are approaching the stage of making the difficult decisions.”

However, another Israeli official poured cold water on the report, claiming that the gaps between Jerusalem’s position and the terror group’s demands “are still large.”