US official: Negotiations for hostage release deal are in their closing stages

Negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal are in their "closing stages," a US official said Wednesday, according to the AFP news agency.

"We believe it's in the closing stages and a deal is closeable," the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.

The official said that the initial phase of the deal will include women, men over 50 and sick and wounded hostages.

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to discuss the details during their meeting on Thursday.

The official said the remaining obstacles are bridgeable and there will be more meetings aimed at reaching a deal over the next week.

Biden in late May outlined a three-phase proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. He recently indicated that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the outline and reiterated his determination to implement the proposal.

“Six weeks ago I laid out a comprehensive framework for how to achieve a ceasefire and bring the hostages home,” wrote Biden on X.

Previously, a senior US official claimed that agreements had been reached regarding the framework of the deal for the release of hostages and the ceasefire, and the discussions are now focusing on the details that will allow its implementation.