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       WASHINGTON: An agreement to halt the 14-month-old war in Gaza and free prisoners held in the Palestinian enclave could be signed in coming days with talks in Cairo making progress, sources briefed on the meeting said on Tuesday.

       The US administration, joined by mediators from Egypt and Qatar, have made intensive efforts in recent days to advance the talks before President Biden leaves office next month.

       “We believe — and the Israelis have said this — that we’re getting closer, and no doubt about it, we believe that, but we also are cautious in our optimism,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told Fox News.

       “We’ve been in this position before where we weren’t able to get it over the finish line.”

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       The sources said a ceasefire deal could be days away that would stop the fighting and return prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

       Hamas said in a statement a deal was possible if Israel stopped setting new conditions. A Palestinian official close to the mediation efforts said negotiations were serious, with discussions under way about every word.

       Sources briefed on the meeting said Netanyahu was on his way to Cairo, but a statement from Netanyahu’s office said he had a meeting on Tuesday with senior military and security officials on Mount Hermon, a strategic plateau just inside Syria.

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       Separately, his spokesperson messaged Israeli correspondents to say: “The prime minister is not in Cairo.”

       Two Egyptian security sources said Netanyahu was not in Cairo “at this moment” but a meeting was under way to work through the remaining points, chief among them a Hamas demand for guarantees that any immediate deal would lead to a comprehensive agreement. The sources felt Tuesday night could be decisive in set-ting next steps.

       Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2024