Close Call: Hamas and Israel Almost Reached Hostage Deal

Hamas and Israel were reportedly close to reaching a deal for the release of women and children held hostage in Gaza, but the deal fell through when Israel launched a ground operation. Hamas was willing to proceed with the deal but needed a guarantee of the hostages' safety. Hamas claims that some of the hostages were killed in Israel's bombing campaign, but this cannot be confirmed. Hamas's current offer is to release all confirmed hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but Israel has not made a clear reply. Qatar has been mediating the negotiations, but tensions have arisen between the US and Qatar over their contacts with Hamas.