CAIRO: US and Arab mediators are working round-the-clock to hammer out a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas , sources close to the talks said, while in the Gaza Strip medics said Israeli strikes had killed 13 Palestinians on Thursday (Dec 19). The mediators, at talks in Egypt and Qatar, seek to forge a deal to pause the 14-month-old war in the Hamas-ruled enclave that would include a release of hostages seized from Israel on Oct 7, 2023, along with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.