Prisoner exchange, Philadelphi corridor sticking points in cease-fire deal: US official
There are two areas of dispute regarding hostage release and cease-fire negotiations -- the prisoner exchange and withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi corridor -- according to a U.S. senior administration official.
The official told reporters Wednesday that "90% of this deal has been agreed to," while also pushing back on the suggestion that the Philadelphi corridor is the only remaining sticking point, noting that the prisoner exchange was the focus for most of last week's discussions.
The official called the negotiations with Hamas on the prisoner exchange "pretty frustrating," and said that "until that is worked out, you're not going to have a deal."
The official noted that negotiations have been taking place off a list of hostages -- a list that is now smaller after the killing of six hostages over the weekend.
"You know, it's horrific. And Hamas is threatening to execute more hostages," the official said. "We all know who we're dealing with. We're dealing with a terrorist group."
"For each hostage, there's a certain number of Palestinian prisoners that will come out. So, you just have fewer hostages as part of the deal in phase one. It's tragic and awful, and you know, it's affecting all of us," the official added.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle and MaryAlice Parks