Some progress reportedly made in first day of Gaza talks
Some progress was made on Thursday during the first day of the latest round of negotiations on the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, U.S. officials said. Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators and Israeli negotiators decided to continue the talks for another day.
The summit in Doha, which Israeli officials have said is "the last chance" to get a deal, comes amid intense regional tensions and threats by Iran and Hezbollah to attack Israel in retaliation for the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut, Axios reported.
The Biden administration has said a hostage and ceasefire deal is key to de-escalating tensions in the Middle East and preventing a regional war.
The deal under negotiation would secure the release of the 115 hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the local health ministry.