The Israelis have “basically accepted” a six-week ceasefire proposal in Gaza, a senior Biden administration official told reporters Saturday. A second phase would be worked out over those six weeks “to build something more enduring.”
The six-week ceasefire would allow for the release of hostages being held in Gaza and the flow of aid into the beleaguered coastal enclave.
That official said there is a “framework deal” that Israel has “more or less accepted.” The sticking point, the official says, is that Hamas has not yet agreed to a “defined category of vulnerable hostages.”
“This vulnerable category of hostages, which is the first phase, is the deal,” the official said.
The official added the US has held “a number of meetings” in Israel and a meeting in Paris in the past several weeks. The official also said meetings are “ongoing” Saturday in Doha, Qatar.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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