U.S. and Arab mediators are working around the clock to hammer out a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, sources close to the talks said, while in the Gaza Strip, medics said Israeli strikes had killed 44 Palestinians on Thursday.
The mediators, at talks in Egypt and Qatar, are trying to forge a deal to pause the 14-month-old war in the Hamas-ruled enclave that would include a release of hostages seized from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, along with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Mediators had managed to narrow some gaps on previous sticking points, but differences remained, the sources said.
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