Israel has said it is “more optimistic than before” about the chance of reaching an agreement over hostages held in Gaza.
Foreign minister Gideon Saar said indirect negotiations were taking place over the return of about 100 hostages.
It comes amid reports Hamas has asked for lists to be compiled of people still being held by militants in Gaza.
Mr Saar said: “We can be more optimistic than before but we are not there yet. I hope we will be there.
“There will not be a ceasefire in Gaza without a hostage deal.”
A Palestinian official said Hamas had asked other factions in Gaza to start listing the names of Israeli and foreign hostages in their custody, whether dead or alive, according to the Reuters news agency.
The official gave no further details, but said the mediators, backed by the US, had stepped up contacts with Israel and Hamas.
Hamas officials declined to comment on the latest reports.
Gunmen took more than 250 hostages back to Gaza after their attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
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On Monday, Israel’s military said four of its soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon.
The army said they “fell during combat”, without providing further details on the incident.
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The soldiers likely died in an accidental detonation of explosives on Sunday as they demolished a Hezbollah tunnel laden with weapons, Israel’s Army Radio reported.
An initial review is said to have found the detonation set off secondary explosions, leading to the collapse of the tunnel.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Saturday that Israeli strikes on two southern villages had killed six people.
