Israel and senior Hamas officials have agreed to the basic elements of a hostage-release and cease-fire deal on the table, but the two sides are still negotiating the details of the proposal, according to two officials familiar with the negotiations.
The substantive differences are seen as relatively minor, but talks are expected to continue through Wednesday, officials said.
Many of the elements still being ironed out are related to stubborn sticking points that have arisen in the past, such as the Rafah border crossing operation and Israeli security concerns related to the movement of displaced Palestinians back to their homes in northern Gaza.
According to officials, the disagreement is unlikely to hinder progress at this point.
Two of the three Americans possibly still alive inside Gaza are ready to be released in the first days or weeks of the ceasefire if a deal is reached, but one official said they expect the releases to happen more slowly than during the November truce. 2023
Although there is no new evidence of life for the two Americans, the assumption is that they and most of the 33 hostages released as a result of the deal will return alive.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
