LEILA FADEL, HOST:
There's renewed hope for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Senior Biden administration officials have been in the region pushing the negotiations which they say have been intense lately. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is just back from his latest trip to the Middle East.
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ANTONY BLINKEN: This is a moment to bring this to an end and bring this to an end in a way that gets the hostages home and finally brings relief to people who suffered and continue to suffer every single day.
INSKEEP: Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continue with the Palestinian death toll climbing to nearly 45,000.
FADEL: NPR's diplomatic correspondent, Michele Kelemen, joins us now from Tel Aviv. Good morning, Michele.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So we've heard many, many times that negotiations are underway, are intense, and there's optimism that a possible deal is afoot, and then no deal. What are you hearing from U.S. officials that makes it different this time?
KELEMEN: Well, they say the whole context in the region has changed. Hamas has been degraded to the point where it can't carry out another October 7-like attack. Israeli strikes and assassinations have degraded the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and there's a ceasefire there now. And Iran lost its client state in Syria with the fall of Bashar al-Assad. So many say that Hamas is now being more flexible. A source close to the negotiations also told NPR that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a deal 'cause he wants to focus more on Iran.
FADEL: So what do we know about this deal that's emerging and the sticking points?
KELEMEN: Well, it would be a lengthy ceasefire - up to two months. Hamas would release some hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees released from Israeli jails. But exactly who is being debated. And there are a lot of big, open questions about Hamas' future role, about who runs Gaza and how to secure Gaza to get vital aid in. So this deal would really just be a start.
FADEL: And you're there in Israel. What are you hearing from family members of some of the hundred hostages still being held in Gaza? Are they optimistic?
KELEMEN: Well, I woke up this morning to skywriting planes painting huge ribbons in the sky to draw attention to the hostages. Families are cautious. You know, they've been here before, only to be disappointed by Netanyahu. I met Efrat Machikawa in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night at a rally for the hostages. She said only diplomacy can get her uncle, who turned 80 in captivity, out of Gaza.
EFRAT MACHIKAWA: War has only sad endings. We cannot talk of a victory to neither side.
KELEMEN: And a lot are really worried about the talk of a partial deal. They want Netanyahu to bring everyone back.
FADEL: What have you heard from Palestinians in Gaza, who are living under these airstrikes and this war, about a possible ceasefire and hostage detainee exchange?
KELEMEN: Well, I mean, they're desperate for an end to the relentless Israeli strikes that have destroyed hospitals and schools. The Israeli military says it's targeting Hamas fighters. But we're hearing from Gaza health officials that many women and children have been killed in these strikes, as well as medical staff. You know, Leila, over 100 were reported killed this weekend alone. And these strikes continue months after the U.S. and others said that Israel had already reached its military goals in Gaza.
FADEL: NPR's diplomatic correspondent, Michele Kelemen. Thank you, Michele.
KELEMEN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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