US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced hope on Monday that a deal to halt the Israel-Hamas fighting in Gaza in exchange for freeing hostages held by Hamas could be achieved, AFP reported. "Very important, productive work has been done. And there is some real hope going forward," Blinken told reporters after meeting earlier in the day in Washington with Qatar's Prime Minister. "Hamas will have to make its own decisions. I can just tell you that there is good, strong alignment among the countries involved that this is a good, strong proposal," Blinken added. His comments follow Sunday’s summit in Paris between CIA chief William Burns and top officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar. Following the meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office said that progress had been made but significant gaps remain between the sides. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who attended the talks, said "good progress" had been made and the parties were "hoping to relay this proposal to Hamas and to get them to a place where they engage positively and constructively in the process." Blinken’s comments also came after a report in NBC News said that negotiators from Israel, the US, Egypt, and Qatar meeting in Paris have agreed on a framework for a new hostage deal. According to the report, as part of the deal, the remaining American and Israeli hostages will be released in phases, starting with the women and children, accompanied by phased pauses in the fighting and aid deliveries to Gaza along with the release of Palestinian Arab prisoners. Related articles: Blinken tried to impose sanctions on Israeli intelligence unit Trump revokes clearances for Blinken, other Biden officials Anti-Israel hecklers disrupt Blinken's final press briefing 'Not surprising there's a loose end with ceasefire deal' The Prime Minister's Office denied the reports and said, "The reports about the deal are incorrect and include conditions that are unacceptable to Israel. We will continue to total victory." Hamas announced that it is rejecting the proposal and said in a statement that "Israel must cease its aggression and withdraw from Gaza before any exchange transaction takes place."
