Biden says he’s optimistic about Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal [Video]

Mediators trying to end the Israel-Hamas war expressed hope for an imminent deal Friday, saying two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and they aimed to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting.Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators’ efforts, and a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposed deal to end the devastating 10-month war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages held in the territory. A cease-fire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict.But U.S. President Joe Biden sounded optimistic, saying, “We are closer than we’ve ever been” to an agreement.Biden has expressed optimism for a deal before, only for talks to break down.“We may have something,” Biden told reporters Friday. “But we’re not there yet.”Both sides had agreed in principle to the plan Biden announced on …