In first phase, 33 hostages to be released, Palestinians to return to north Gaza

We've been close before and failed to cross the finish line. But the opportunity for a final agreement is within reach, and the steps to implement it could begin in the coming days."

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan offered cautious optimism

Hamas has raised no objections to the proposal, hoping a ceasefire can soon alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza,

the official said

This is the time to strike with full force, retake Gaza, and dismantle Hamas until it surrenders completely,

he said

We have coordinated very closely with the incoming administration to present a united message to all the parties, which says it is in the American national security interest…to get this deal done as fast as possible. And now we think those details are on the brink of being fully hammered out, and the parties are right on the cusp of being able to close this deal. Whether or not we go from where we are now to actually closing it, the hours and days ahead will tell."

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan emphasized the urgency in a statement

The pace at which Hamas is rebuilding itself is higher than the pace that the IDF is eradicating them,

retired IDF Brig

We’re on the brink of a proposal laid down months ago finally coming to fruition. We're pressing hard to close this – free the hostages, halt the fighting, secure Israel and ensure humanitarian aid to Gaza. Palestinians deserve peace, Israel deserves peace, and we are working urgently to close this deal as we address the challenges."

During his farewell foreign policy address at the State Department on Monday, President Biden said

I'm not making a promise or prediction, but it is there for the taking and we are going to work to make it happen,

Sullivan told reporters

Every hostage must be returned home immediately and unconditionally."

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an organization formed by the loved ones of hostages, on Monday

Soon we will know whether the other side wants the same thing,

Sa'ar said, ... according to Israeli media reports

The Prime Minister directed the Mossad Director, the ISA Director, Maj.-Gen. (Res) Nitzan Alon, and his Foreign Policy Adviser, Dr. Ophir Falk, to depart for Doha in order to continue advancing a deal to release our hostages."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Saturday

I know your heart is in the right place, but you are required to do more than that,

he said

Members of the far-right have said they would vote against it and Netanyahu has even spoken to members of the far-right, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to try to warm them up to the idea of a deal,

she said

We hear that there are negotiations every day, but we see nothing,

said Mazen Hammad, a resident of the southern city of Khan Younis

Israel very much wants to release the hostages and is working hard to reach a deal,

Sa'ar said

We are not far from a ceasefire agreement if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responds positively to the main issues under discussion,

said Tahir al-Nono, a senior Hamas official, in comments to Xinhua

There is progress in the negotiations to release the hostages,

Sa'ar said during joint remarks alongside Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who is on a trip to the region

We are very close to reaching the ceasefire,

the official said, noting

For more than 15 months, we have endured war, poverty, and a lack of basic necessities. We hope an agreement will end our suffering,

he told Xinhua

It seems the direction is positive,

the official said on condition of anonymity

I long to return to my home and reunite with my family. We miss the life we had before the war,

she said