A truce between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza was never going to be easy. Weeks of talks have failed to produce agreement. But international pressure is growing.
Perhaps the biggest sign is the Biden administration sending William Burns, the head of the CIA, for the latest round of talks in Cairo.
Hamas has, in public at least, stuck with its initial demands of a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern parts of the territory without restrictions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile insists that Israel will continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed and hostages the group is holding are free.
Israel is damned if they do and damned if they don’t so they may as well do.
We could be witnessing a pantomime allowing the White House to save face and say they tried to negotiate a ceasefire.
