Israel and Hamas make final push for Gaza ceasefire deal

The Israeli PM's office denies reports that Hamas has agreed a draft presented by mediators in Qatar.

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There were reports of a breakthrough on Wednesday, with unnamed Israeli officials cited as saying that Hamas had agreed to the latest draft presented by Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office however swiftly denied the reports. There was also no immediate comment from the Palestinian armed group.

On Tuesday night, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they were "on the brink" of an agreement and awaiting "final word from Hamas".

A senior Hamas official later told Reuters news agency it had not delivered its official response to the draft because Israel had yet to submit maps showing how its troops would withdraw from areas of Gaza.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78w6j79je0o

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