That's what we're being told this week. The proposed deal would bring about not only a ceasefire but also an agreement on an interim government to run Gaza once the war is over. Unfortunately, this information isn't coming from the Israelis, nor is it coming from Hamas' leadership. It was provided to the Washington Post by an anonymous "U.S. official" who would only speak on background, so take that for what it's worth. The idea seemed to be batted down by other administration officials who said that while a "framework" for a deal exists, the implementation of it "is not imminent." Looking at the details, this just sounds like the same deal that Joe Biden pitched before and neither side agreed to, though there is one significant addition to it which we'll address in a moment. (Jerusalem Post)

A senior US official told the Washington Post in a Wednesday op-ed that a framework has reportedly been agreed upon for a ceasefire-hostage release deal in Gaza.

The opinion piece reports that it would lead to the release of some hostages and that the parties involved are in the negotiating phases of implementing such a deal.

Other senior officials warned that although the framework for the deal exists, a final agreement "is not imminent" and that working on the details is complex and expected to take time. US officials say the agreement sees the resolution in three stages. 

What is being described here is basically the same three-phase plan that the White House proposed. Initially, there would be a release of some hostages but not all of them. There would be a limited ceasefire so that civilians could be relocated away from potentially active combat areas and aid could be delivered. What they always fail to mention is that while those "civilians" are being evacuated, most of Hamas will slip away at the same time. 

The new element of the plan involves phase two. It would establish an interim government in Gaza that would not be controlled by either Israel or Hamas. Instead, it would be comprised of a "core group of about 2,500 supporters of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza who have already been vetted by Israel." According to the unnamed American official, both Israel and Hamas have agreed to this idea, with Hamas allegedly saying they are "prepared to relinquish authority" to the interim government. However, I can find no public record of either side stating that this is now their official policy. 

There are a few obvious problems or at least complications with the proposed interim government. First of all, that sounds like a very large number of people to put in charge of anything. It's basically a snake with 2,500 heads. Someone has to be placed at the top to take charge officially. Who would that person be? Nobody is saying. Also, these governing actors would reportedly be "supporters" of the Palestinian Authority. But the PA has been approached about this repeatedly and their leaders have said they have no interest in taking responsibility for the mess in the Gaza Strip. They also don't get along very well with Hamas, and even if the terror group has "relinquished power," they're still going to be there under this plan.

Would the PA be any more effective in preventing Hamas from stealing all of the aid that is expected to flow into the strip? I will wish them the best of luck if they try, but it doesn't seem likely. Hamas has been embedded there for a very long time and they know their way around. Of course, all of this may turn out to be nothing more than wishful thinking. Until we see someone from Netanyahu's government and one of Hamas' leaders shaking hands and putting something in writing, let's just say I'll believe it when I see it.