Hopes rise for Gaza ceasefire as Blinken says it is ‘closer than it’s ever been' | First Thing

The secretary of state said that the negotiations were right on the brink' on Tuesday. Plus, Pete Hegseth grilled on sexual assault and drinking claims

Good morning.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has described negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza as right on the brink", with warring sides reportedly close to inking a deal on Tuesday.

What are we waiting for? According to Blinken, mediators were awaiting Hamas's response. AP reported that Hamas had accepted the draft ceasefire and hostage deal, citing two anonymous sources. But the group has not publicly confirmed this, and an Israeli official said details were still being finalized.

How likely is Hegseth to be confirmed? After Joni Ernst, a Republican of Iowa who initially expressed skepticism, backed him, Hegseth's confirmation appears highly probable.