US President Joe Biden said on Friday that no party in the Middle East should undermine efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that he claimed was now in sight, stressing that a deal was "much, much closer" than before the talks began.
A senior administration official said the latest negotiations were the most productive in months, and negotiators will reconvene next week in Cairo hoping to conclude it.
"It was consensus of all of the participants over the past 48 hours that there's really a new spirit here to drive it to a conclusion," the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
"The Israeli team that was here was empowered...We made a lot of progress in the number of issues that we've been working on," the official said.
Later, Biden said in a statement he had directed his negotiating team to put forward the comprehensive bridging proposal presented on Friday, which he said offers the basis for final agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Biden said he spoke with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who he said expressed strong support for the US proposal.
Teams will remain on the ground to continue technical work and senior officials will convene in Cairo "before the end of the week," he said.
"As of an hour ago, it's still in play. I'm optimistic. It's far from over," Biden affirmed.
"There's a couple more issues. I think we've got a shot," he added, without elaborating.
Asked by a reporter when a ceasefire deal would start if a deal is reached, Biden said: "That remains to be seen."
