White House "Stopped ceasefire in Gaza, hostage release likely to be concluded this week"

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says a deal between Israel and Hamas is close to reaching a deal on a Gaza truce and the release of hostages, which could be reached this week.

Sullivan said in a White House briefing that he would do everything he could to get the details over the finish line, although they are not fully sorted out.

When asked why the deal is closer than before, Sullivan explained that the difference in key issues such as the way prisoners are exchanged and the deployment of Israeli troops in the withdrawal of Gaza has been fundamentally narrowed.

The main reason for this is that Israel has achieved significant military goals in Gaza and Hamas has suffered catastrophic military losses, stressing that when these two factors are combined, now is the right time to conclude a deal.

Sullivan added that he could not, however, promise with certainty that a deal would be reached.

Sullivan said that when it comes to North Korea, North Korea remains a constant threat for many years across various U.S. administrations.