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US-led mediators have sent the final draft of a ceasefire proposal to Israel and Hamas after a “breakthrough” in negotiations to end the fighting and release hostages in Gaza.
People familiar with the matter said the latest standoff came after an earlier push by the fighters to end at least 15 months of conflict since July.
“The final agreement is now accepted by all parties,” a diplomat said in a brief statement on the talks.
“A good result was obtained around midnight in Doha. . . The mediators have given responsibility to both sides to agree on the agreement,” the diplomat added. The next 24 hours will be crucial to reach an agreement.
The “discovery” came after a diplomatic blowout involving President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli intelligence chief David Barney and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
The US, Qatar and Egypt have been struggling for months to reach an agreement to end the conflict in Gaza and free about 100 hostages held in the besieged strip.
But the talks have gathered new momentum since the election of Trump, who has repeatedly called for the release of all hostages ahead of his January 20 inauguration. Otherwise, he warned, there would be “all hell to pay.”
Earlier, the optimism of mediators closing in on an agreement has been dashed by the warring parties not making the necessary concessions to reach an agreement on the line.
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday.
He added, “Both leaders have agreed to stay close at this crucial stage of the negotiations, both directly and through their teams.”