Amid reports that agreement on at least some components of a deal may be near, U.S. officials and other interested parties spent much of Wednesday awaiting word from Israel, where internal discussions were said to be underway. President Biden, speaking Wednesday in a news conference after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said that he was “deeply involved” in negotiations over a hostage release with Israel and the government of Qatar, which is serving as a go-between for Hamas….
….
The Arab diplomat and others familiar with the talks, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive negotiations, cautioned that the arrangement currently under discussion could fall apart, as have others up to now. Previous proposals have outlined some of the same parameters, with different numbers of hostages involved and conditions placed on their release. The latest outline has been agreed only “in general terms,” the diplomat said.
“We should be hearing back today,” the diplomat said. If the Israelis agree, “it’s going to happen quickly. If they reject it, then we’re at it again.”