The White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Thursday that his goal was to be able to close a deal between Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages held there “this month.”
Speaking at a news conference in Tel Aviv after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his top security and policy chiefs, Mr. Sullivan added to a renewed sense of momentum toward a deal after a long impasse, saying that “the surround sound of these negotiations is different today than it has been in the past.”
After months of stalled negotiations, cease-fire talks for the Gaza Strip are picking up steam. But analysts — and Mr. Sullivan on Thursday — cautioned that a deal was not yet sealed. Over the past year, repeated rounds of talks have seen hopes rise only to be dashed days later, with both Israel and Hamas blaming the other for the impasse.
From Israel Mr. Sullivan plans to travel on to Qatar and Egypt, the main countries, along with the United States, involved in mediating a deal.
“You can’t rest until it actually happens. It might not happen,” Mr. Sullivan said at the news conference, adding, “but I believe it can happen with political will on both sides.”
Mr. Netanyahu has indicated “that he would like to see this done,” Mr. Sullivan said. He added, “We see movement from Hamas,” alluding to possible flexibility in some of the group’s core demands.
