A new round of Gaza cease-fire talks is starting. Why is a deal so elusive?

Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — International mediators are hoping to kickstart stalled cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas with a new round of talks meant to finally clinch a deal between the sides. But the chances of a breakthrough appear slim. Israel and Hamas are set to resume discussions on Thursday, but they’ve been mulling an internationally-backed proposal for more than two months that would wind down the 10-month-long war and free the roughly 110 hostages still held in Gaza. The indirect talks haven’t advanced substantively during that time and new proposed terms have complicated progress. Meanwhile, the fighting in Gaza rages on, the hostages languish in captivity, and fears of an all-out regional war involving Iran and one of its proxies, Hezbollah, have surged.