Gaps Are Narrowing In Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the “gaps are narrowing” in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over another cease-fire and hostage release that the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have spent several weeks trying to broker. Blinken’s sixth visit to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war began in Saudi Arabia and will take him to Egypt on Thursday and Israel on Friday. In an interview Wednesday with the Al-Hadath network in Saudi Arabia, Blinken said he thinks an agreement is very much possible. Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 31,800 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the surprise Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza that triggered the war, and abducted another 250 people.