US official: Gaza ceasefire could be in 'closing stages'

According to a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of talks between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal were in their “closing stages.” The official said that there would be a “lot of activity in the coming week” towards reaching a long-sought deal, adding that an agreement was “not only possible, it’s essential and necessary.”