The post US official says Biden prioritized Israel’s ‘defanging’ of Hezbollah to push Hamas toward deal appeared first on The Times of Israel.

President Joe Biden and his top diplomats, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, had sought closure during his term.

Mediators used framework outlined by outgoing US president and were empowered by Israel's weakening of Iranian axis, but needed assistance from US president-elect to close the deal The post On a deadline: How Biden and Trump brokered hostage deal before ‘all hell’ broke loose appeared first on The Times of Israel.

The first stage of the deal would see 33 hostages set free, including children and women. Read more at straitstimes.com.

A top level Israeli security delegation arrived in Qatar on Sunday for talks on a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in a possible sign of so-far elusive agreements nearing.

Mediators say Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the devastating 15-month war and flood humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

A ceasefire agreement in Gaza has been reached between Israel and Hamas after more than 15 months of war. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have mediated the long-running efforts to halt the fighting in the ravaged Palestinian territory, often coming close to a deal before a frustrating breakdown in negotiations.

Negotiators from Israel, Hamas, the US and Qatar have officially signed their historic ceasefire deal in Doha, but the truce is not expected to be implemented until Monday.

U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators shuttled between the Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha on Tuesday, where officials said a deal to halt the war is near.

After prolonged negotiations mediated by representatives from both the Biden and Trump administrations, a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hamas. The truce involves the release of hostages by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners by Israel,

Qatar "will use all available means to exert pressure on Israel to return [the situation] to what it was before," the Syrian Islamist leader claimed.