Negotiators have developed a written draft agreement merging proposals offered by Israel and Hamas in the last 10 days into a basic framework that will be the subject of talks in Paris on Sunday. While there are still important disagreements to be worked out, negotiators are cautiously optimistic that a final accord is within reach, according to U.S. officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive talks. President Biden spoke by phone separately Friday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, who have served as intermediaries with Hamas, to narrow the remaining differences. director, William J. Burns, to Paris for Sunday’s talks with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. “They underscored the urgency of the situation and welcomed the close cooperation among their teams to advance recent discussions.”

Source: International New York Times January 28, 2024 15:27 UTC