Jerusalem:
Talks between Israelis and Palestinians over a Gaza truce are continuing but the Egyptian mediators are still hopeful a deal can be reached later on Tuesday, an Egyptian official said.
Egypt is seeking to broker a truce after an informal ceasefire it negotiated in October collapsed.
The official said Egypt was "hopeful" of an agreement later on Tuesday, adding: "We are more hopeful today than yesterday."
"We are waiting for the Israeli response," he said.
The official's comments were echoed by other Egyptian sources, following a comment by a Hamas official that there had been a breakthrough. An Israeli official told CNN that the deal was not finalised.
An Egyptian security source close to the talks said: "Nothing has been finalised yet."
Another Egyptian official said he was surprised that Hamas official Ayman Taha had announced that a deal had been reached.
© Thomson Reuters 2012