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US-led mediators have sent the final draft of a ceasefire proposal to Israel and Hamas after achieving a “breakthrough” in talks on an agreement to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.

That brought the warring parties closer to ending the 15-month conflict, which has been going on since at least July, when a previous attempt collapsed, people familiar with the matter said.

A diplomat familiar with the talks said: “The final agreement is now presented for approval by all parties.”

“A breakthrough was reached around midnight in Doha… The diplomat added that the mediators are putting the onus on both sides to agree to the deal. “The next 24 hours will be pivotal to reaching the agreement.”

This came after a wave of diplomacy in which US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani participated.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been struggling for months to reach an agreement to end the conflict and secure the release of about 100 hostages held in the besieged Strip, more than a third of whom are believed to be no longer alive.

But the talks gained momentum after the election of Trump, who has repeatedly demanded the release of all hostages before his inauguration on January 20. He warned that if this did not happen, he would “pay a hell of a price.”

“We are 98 percent close,” said a person familiar with the talks.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: “We are now at a pivotal point in the negotiations.” “We are close to reaching an agreement and it can be done this week… It is there and we will work to achieve it.”

However, mediators spoke of previous periods of optimism that they were close to reaching an agreement. But these matters dissipated due to the warring parties’ refusal to make the necessary concessions to reach an agreement on the line.

The mediators must now wait for the responses of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leadership of Hamas.

Another person familiar with the talks said that Israel is waiting for the Hamas leadership to approve the latest proposal before the two parties “go to final negotiations.”

“We are not there yet, but there is potential for real progress. The next 48 hours will be crucial,” the person said. “At the very least, the goal is to reach a framework agreement by January 20.” [Trump’s inauguration]But the hope is that it will be more than that.

The source said that the shift in Netanyahu’s position is due to the fact that ending the war has become a priority for Trump. “The only difference is Trump. Netanyahu wants to ally with Trump and reach an agreement.

The mediators have been seeking for months to reach a multi-stage agreement to end the conflict that broke out after Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage.

The resounding Israeli retaliatory attack on Gaza killed more than 46,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, and turned much of the besieged Strip into a barren wasteland.

The differences included the location of the redeployment of Israeli forces, the return of displaced Palestinians to the northern Gaza Strip, and the number and categories of Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for the release of the hostages.

Israel also called on Hamas to identify the hostages who are still alive.

Hamas insists that any arrangement ends with a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.

The latest talks were based on the multi-stage proposal, which would lead to an initial truce lasting six to eight weeks, during which about 34 hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, would be released.

In return, several hundred Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli prisons. Hamas issued a statement on Monday saying: “The freedom of our prisoners is close.”

However, Netanyahu is expected to face resistance from his far-right allies in his ruling coalition who are opposed to stopping the war and releasing Palestinians convicted of terrorist crimes. However, analysts expect the veteran prime minister to get the votes to approve the deal.

Far-right ministers such as Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich had previously threatened to bring down the government if a deal was reached. Their opposition is believed to have been crucial in thwarting previous rounds of talks, according to a number of people familiar with the talks.

Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, said on Monday that the impending deal was a “disaster” and a “surrender.” In a statement, he urged Israel to “invade and cleanse the entire Strip” and “open the gates of hell on Gaza” until Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages.

Netanyahu met with both Ben Gvir and Smotrich on Sunday night in an attempt to persuade them not to leave the government over the ceasefire agreement.