Israel and Hamas are said to be close to agreeing to a ceasefire

Israel and Hamas are engaged in a second round of talks in Qatar on Tuesday as they move closer to an agreement on a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages, according to a diplomat and a Palestinian in contact with Hamas leaders.

The new talks were a sign that the talks, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, are making progress after months of failed attempts to make progress.

If Hamas and Israel strike a deal, it would bring respite to Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured squalid conditions in displacement camps and relentless Israeli bombing, and to the families of hostages kidnapped from Israel, who have worried for more than a year about the fate of their loved ones.

The diplomat said the talks would focus on resolving outstanding issues, while the Palestinian said they would focus on the details of how to implement the agreement.

Both the diplomat and the Palestinian spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

In past rounds of talks, hopes rose only to be dashed days later, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the stalemate.

The emerging agreement, the diplomat said, was largely inspired by previous proposals discussed in May and July.