US working to bridge gaps on Gaza hostage deal, says Blinken

"We have conversations that are happening now, as we speak here, and I am convinced they'll go on into the coming days," Blinken told reporters. Netanyahu's office also said on Friday the prime minister had approved plans for a military operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million people are sheltering, and said the army was preparing operational issues and the evacuation of the civilian population.

The United States is working intensively with Israel and intermediaries Qatar and Egypt to bridge remaining gaps for a hostage deal that would see a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office described the latest proposals for a hostage deal by the Islamist movement Hamas as unrealistic on Friday but said a delegation would leave for Qatar to discuss Israel's position on a potential agreement.

Blinken, speaking during a visit to Austria, said Israel sending a team reflected "a sense of both possibility and of urgency" to reach an agreement on the release of hostages. "We have conversations that are happening now, as we speak here, and I am convinced they'll go on into the coming days," Blinken told reporters.

Netanyahu's office also said on Friday the prime minister had approved plans for a military operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million people are sheltering, and said the army was preparing operational issues and the evacuation of the civilian population. Blinken said the U.S. needs to see a clear and implementable plan for a military operation in Rafah, including to get civilians out of harm's way, but that Washington has not yet seen such a plan.

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