Palestinian family members pray over the bodies of relatives killed in overnight Israeli air strikes on Gaza City during preparations for their burial at Al-Ahli Arab hospital, also known as the Baptist hospital. AFP
"We're now looking to close a hostage release deal and a ceasefire (in Gaza). It's time to finish the job and bring all of the hostages home... I got the sense from the prime minister he's ready to do a deal," Sullivan said at a press conference at the Tel Aviv annexe of the US embassy in Jerusalem, after meeting Netanyahu.
There has been growing optimism that a new round of talks for a ceasefire and captive release deal might succeed, with key mediator Qatar talking of new "momentum" last week.
Sullivan said he would travel onward to Qatar and Egypt -- both longtime mediators between Israel and Hamas -- in a bid to secure progress in negotiations.
The Israeli war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed at least 44,835 people in Gaza, a majority of them women and children, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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