Turning our focus now to the Middle East where mediators working toward a Gaza ceasefire wrapped up a second day of talks and by some indications ended on a hopeful note.

Nick Schifrin joins us with more.

Nick, it's good to see you.

So where do these talks stand right now?

As you said, Jeff, U.S. officials are hopeful, even optimistic.

A senior administration official who briefed reporters this afternoon use phrases like this. Quote quote this process is now in the end game a

deal that is ready to be closed the package is basically there but crucially there is still

no Israeli and Hamas agreement to new language that US

cuttery and Egyptian mediators today called a bridging proposal. Now recall

that there is an overall agreement on the framework of the first phase of this deal,

six weeks ceasefire, the release of more than 30 hostages from Hamas, and 700 Palestinian

detainees released by Israel and a humanitarian aid surge alongside a

phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

But there are disagreements and the new language is designed to bridge these disputes.

So, number one, the senior official said on Israel's insistence

to control the Philadelphia corridor between Gaza and Egypt,

quote, that issue is moving the right way.

Number two, on checkpoints inside Gaza

that Israel insists on, the official said

the agreement aimed to block Gazans

who might move from the south to the north with weapons.

And number three, in the coming days,

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