Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said on Saturday that a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel is “closer than ever”, provided Israel does not impose new conditions. Last week, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas mediated by Qatar,

During its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups took about 250 people hostages and brought them to Gaza. A previous truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the pressure is on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to move forward with the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, arguing the group’s support from its allies in

Hamas has become the latest party to the Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations to voice optimism about the prospects of reaching a deal, amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region.

Long-running Gaza ceasefire talks are progressing, according to both Israeli and Hamas officials who have expressed fresh optimism around the possible end to the war in the Palestinian enclave. A Hamas spokesperson told Newsweek that progress on the talks was "positive and optimistic.

The Palestinian militant group says a long--awaited agreement to free all hostage could be reached if Israel stops adding new conditions.