A Hamas official has said that the group has tasked 'suicide brigades' with guarding Israeli captives as drawn out negotiations for a ceasefire continue

Israel and Hamas are once again struggling to reach a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage.

The U.S.-brokered talks, which have been deadlocked for months, involve Biden administration and Trump transition officials and could also involve the release of hostages.

Blinken said that even if the Biden administration's plans for a ceasefire and hostage deal don't come to fruition before Trump's inauguration.

Israel has vowed to catch the perpetrators after gunmen killed three people and wounded seven others in an attack on a bus carrying Israelis in the West Bank. It comes as outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he maintains hope that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached in the near future.

Hamas said a new round of indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire resumed in Qatar's Doha on Friday, stressing the group's seriousness in seeking to reach a deal as soon as possible, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said.

Hamas has resumed indirect ceasefire talks with Israel in Doha, Qatar. Senior official Basem Naim emphasized the group's commitment to reaching a lasting agreement. The discussions focus on achieving a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Blinken, in Paris on Jan. 8, said when a ceasefire deal is ultimately reached in Gaza it will be based on the plan President Joe Biden put forward last May.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Monday for a final push for a Gaza ceasefire before President Joe Biden leaves office, after a Hamas official told Reuters the group had cleared a list of 34 hostages as first to go free under a truce.