Doha has been hosting negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war that would include freeing hostages that Hamas abducted in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel

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.

Gaza’s health ministry said that 88 people had been killed over the past day. Israeli and Hamas officials have been holding indirect cease-fire talks via mediators in Qatar.

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.

Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least 22 people on Wednesday, Palestinian medics said, as the U.S. stepped up efforts to overcome sticking points between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire to end the war.

Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the Jan. 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before,

Israel has vowed to catch the perpetrators after gunmen killed three people and wounded seven others in an attack on a bus carrying Israelis in the West Bank. It comes as outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he maintains hope that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached in the near future.