Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on a visit to Washington, D.C., has signaled that a cease-fire deal could be near with Hamas that would include a hostage release.
In a meeting with families of Israelis being held in Gaza, Netanyahu said the conditions for a deal were "coming together, without a doubt," the Times of Israel reported.
"This is a good sign," he said, "and the other sign is that we are also seeing that the enemy's spirit is starting to break."
Netanyahu claimed he was doing everything he could do to get the hostages home but wants to continue to press the military campaign against Hamas.
Meanwhile, factions Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement on forming a unity government in post-war Palestinian-controlled areas.
The announcement comes after talks in China, CNN reported.
The Health Ministry in Gaza says over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, although it does not break out how many of the dead were armed combatants.
