A source in the Israeli negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was a real chance of achieving agreement after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal.
"The proposal put forward by Hamas includes a very significant breakthrough," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Israeli response to the Hamas proposal, submitted via mediators, was in marked contrast to past instances during the nearly nine-month war in Gaza, where Israel has said the conditions attached by Hamas were not acceptable.
Also read: Gaza ceasefire effort shows signs of revival as Israel pounds enclave
An Israeli official said the head of Israel s Mossad intelligence agency would lead the Israeli delegation for the talks.
Netanyahu was scheduled later on Thursday to have consultations with his negotiating team, then discuss the hostage release talks with his security cabinet.
The White House said Biden and Netanyahu, on a phone call, discussed the response received from Hamas on possible terms of a deal.
US sees breakthrough in Israel-Hamas talks, senior official says
Hamas made a pretty significant adjustment in its position over a potential hostage release deal with Israel, a senior U.S. administration official said on Thursday, expressing hope that it would lead to a pact that would be a step to a permanent ceasefire.
"We ve had a breakthrough," the official told reporters on a conference call, adding there were still outstanding issues related to implementation of the agreement and that a deal was not expected to be closed in a period of days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday he has decided to send a delegation to resume stalled negotiations on a hostage release deal with Hamas.
The U.S. official said Biden was encouraged that Netanyahu was authorizing his team to join the talks.
"We do believe there is a pretty significant opening here, and we welcome the prime minister s readiness to try to seize that opening by empowering his negotiating team to engage directly" in Doha here over the coming days," the official said.
