US and Israeli officials say finalizing any ceasefire deal could take days
Source: CNN Politics
Published 11:14 AM EDT, Sat May 4, 2024
CNN — As negotiators meet in Cairo on Saturday, US and Israeli officials say any potential agreement on a framework that would pair a temporary ceasefire with a release of hostages in Gaza would likely be followed by continued negotiations over the finer details of the deal.
A final deal between the two parties is expected to take several more days to negotiate. Negotiators have made progress on the technical aspects of a potential deal, but two Israeli sources say it could take a week to finalize the deal itself.
A US official echoed this point Saturday, saying even if Hamas accepts the deal as proposed, it would take several more days to hammer out some of the details that would eventually result in a truce. Those discussions could also be difficult and stretched out. American officials continue to view the talks with cautious optimism, describing progress but still mindful that previous efforts have fallen apart at the last minute.
As Hamas met with mediators in Cairo on Saturday, Mossad Director David Barnea remained in Israel. But Israeli sources said he could quickly head to Egypt if Hamas agrees to the framework.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/04/politics/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-negotiations/index.html
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