A government official reveals that Israeli Prime Minister,BENJAMIN NETANYAHU has given approval for a team of negotiators to be sent to discuss a hostage release deal with Hamas.

The development comes a day after Hamas responded to a Gaza ceasefire plan outlined by the U.S President JOE BIDEN at the end of May.

The last indirect talks took place in Cairo in early May and efforts to get them back on track since then have made little progress, with the United State putting the blame on Hamas.

The details of Hamas’s response have not been made public, but a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told newsmen that Hamas was no longer demanding a full ceasefire at the outset of the plan presented by Mr.BIDEN.