is ‘going to happen’ as officials say they are nearing an agreement

Biden said Tuesday that he believes a deal can be reached to release hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, voicing optimism as officials said prolonged talks to free hostages are nearing an agreement.

“I’ve been talking with the people involved every single day. I believe it’s going to happen. But I don’t want to get into detail,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

The White House said Tuesday night that Biden had “discussed at length” efforts to free hostages with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call earlier in the day.

A senior US official familiar with the talks said on Tuesday that Israel and Hamas are moving closer to a deal to secure the release of hostages taken during the Hamas attacks on Israel in exchange for a sustained, days-long pause in fighting.

The official stressed that while the parties have inched closer to striking a deal, the talks remained volatile and could still break down: “It’s closer but it’s not done.” 

One European diplomat on Monday expressed optimism that some hostages could be released in the coming days or weeks.