U.S. and Israeli officials acknowledged that the killing of six hostages in Gaza over the weekend has blunted progress made in recent weeks by negotiators toward a cease-fire deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The news of their deaths deflated recent optimism that a deal was close at hand, as both sides forecast strong retaliation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They also worry tensions between Israeli leadership and Hamas will only continue to increase, potentially further stalling negotiations.
“It does not look good,” one Israeli official briefed on the negotiations said. “We are still working at it, but the hostages being killed changed everything.”
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