"Breakthrough in Hostage Crisis: White House and Qatar Close to Striking a Deal"

A new round of negotiations to obtain the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas has made incremental progress.

This signals the end of months of deadlock and raises hopes among relatives as the war passes its 100th day.

New details have emerged of a deal to allow medicine, such as vital prescription drugs, to reach the hostages, along with an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the agreement, which should come into effect this week.

Negotiators are currently discussing how to deliver the medications and aid with Israel and Hamas.

The families of hostages are campaigning for the Israeli government to ramp up efforts to get them freed, saying the captives were in poor health, some with complex illnesses, others with injuries

Some families gathered in an area near the Gaza border in recent days to broadcast messages of support to their loved ones using loudspeakers.

A diplomat briefed on the talks in Qatar said a visit by the families of hostages earlier this month had “fast-tracked” discussions on getting vital supplies to the captives, providing an initial if limited success after talks resumed earlier this month

“Both Hamas and Israel have shown willingness to allow the delivery of the medicine,” the diplomat said.

Some relatives of hostages have called for the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit them to deliver medicine and assess their conditions.

The ICRC has publicly declared its willingness to visit the hostages.

Sources in touch with Hamas said they were ready to allow the ICRC to conduct a visit but only if there was a temporary ceasefire that would allow the captives to be moved from any strategically important locations.