Touting ‘progress,’ US official claims Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks now ‘in the nitty-gritty’

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages have made progress.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, he says “the negotiators are bearing down on the details, meaning that we have advanced the discussions to a point where it’s in the nitty-gritty, and that is a positive sign of progress.”

Officials from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Israel have held several days of talks trying to hammer out an updated proposal that could be submitted to Hamas. But there has been no sign of a breakthrough, and Israel and Hamas remain far apart on key issues.

US officials have said they are closing in on a deal, while Hamas has accused the United States of adopting unacceptable demands by Israel and trying to force them on the terror group. Officials in Egypt, one of the key mediators, have also expressed skepticism.

“At the end of the day, nothing is done until it’s done. And so we’re just going to keep working at this until we finally get the ceasefire and hostage deal across the line,” Sullivan says.