Gaza Israel and Hamas are inching closer to a deal to pause their 15-month war in Gaza and enact a hostages-for-prisoners swap, sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The National on Wednesday.

An Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Qatar on Friday to continue negotiations on a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNN on Friday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expresses confidence in a near-term Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

Hamas said a new round of indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire resumed in Qatar's Doha on Friday, stressing the group's seriousness in seeking to reach a deal as soon as possible, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said.

The family of a hostage who appears in the latest video released by Hamas has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize the opportunity to do a ceasefire deal, describing the footage as having “torn our hearts to pieces.

A new round of indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal resumed in Qatar’s Doha on Friday, according to the Palestinian jihadists of Hamas. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim sought to underline the group's "seriousness" in seeking to reach a deal as soon as possible.

Hamas has resumed indirect ceasefire talks with Israel in Doha, Qatar. Senior official Basem Naim emphasized the group's commitment to reaching a lasting agreement. The discussions focus on achieving a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The meeting was held between the gulf state’s prime minister and senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya. Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al

Abandoned by its allies, resented by Gazans and still under attack from Israel, losing its comfortable outpost in Doha may be the least of Hamas’s problems.

The Hamas Movement said that the indirect ceasefire talks over Gaza resumed on Friday in the Qatari capital, Doha, reiterating its keenness on reaching an agreement ending the Israeli aggression and protecting the Palestinians against genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Hamas has approved a list of 34 Israeli hostages to be exchanged in a possible ceasefire deal, Reuters reported, citing a Hamas official.