Israel shifts tone, toes Trump's line in Gaza ceasefire talks with Hamas
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, indirect talks stretched into a fourth day in Qatar, with reported complaints of Israeli intransigence on aid distribution to starving civilians.
Army chief Eyal Zamir said in a televised address that military action had prepared the ground for a deal that would bring home the Israeli hostages seized by militant group Hamas.
"We have achieved many significant results, we have caused great damage to the governance and military capabilities of Hamas," he said.
"Thanks to the operational power that we have demonstrated, the conditions have been created to advance a deal to release the hostages."
Earlier Netanyahu, who after talks with Trump on Tuesday night was still uncompromising in his determination to crush Hamas, said he believed an agreement was on the horizon. "I think we're getting closer to a deal," he told FOX Business Network's Mornings with Maria programme.
"There's a good chance that we'll have it."
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also said he thought a temporary deal was "achievable" and could even herald talks for a more lasting peace, while President Isaac Herzog talked of "a historic opportunity" for change.
"We are in an era of tectonic shifts, where the global balance of power and the regional strategic landscape are being reshaped," Herzog said.
"We must not miss this moment," he added.
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