Israel and Hamas Near Agreement on Cease-Fire Deal, Qatar Says

Israel and Hamas are “on the brink” of agreeing on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages held there, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Tuesday, raising hopes for some respite to the violence after more than 15 months of war.

“It’s right on the brink, it’s closer than it’s ever been before,” Mr. Blinken said at an Atlantic Council event in Washington. “But right now as we sit here we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance. And until we get that word, we’ll remain on the brink.”

A person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday evening that Israel and Hamas had been locked in on the deal, with both appearing prepared to publicly accept it in the very near future. The person, who requested anonymity because a deal had not been announced, said the atmosphere was tense but hopeful.

Neither Israeli nor Hamas officials have publicly confirmed their position on the cease-fire proposal, although Mr. Blinken suggested that Israel was on board with the agreement and that the deal’s fate now rested with Hamas.

Negotiators said Hamas seemed ready to accept the deal, including its details about the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for hostages, and the specific movements of Israeli troops as they withdraw from positions in Gaza, according to the person familiar with the discussions.

But the person cautioned that the agreement has more than 100 separate parts and that no diplomatic deal of that complexity can ever be considered completely done until the parties announce it publicly.