Talks between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining hostages have appeared to make little headway, according to officials familiar with the discussionstmt play, as the clock runs down on the Biden administration’s remaining days to reach an agreement on a cease-fire.

Israel has kept up with its campaign in Gaza even as mediators have conducted months of shuttle diplomacy. Israeli and Hamas officials said in December that there had been progress toward a deal, before each blamed the other side for throwing up fresh obstacles.

Gaps have persisted amid differences between the two sides, the officials said, and the future of the talks is uncertain. Qatar and Egypt have led the mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas with involvement from the United States.

The Israeli government said on Thursday night that it would soon send a midlevel delegation of security officials to attend another round of talks in Qatar. At the same time, Hamas officials were in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials on how to overcome the impasse, according to a person in contact with Hamas leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details about the visit, which had not been publicized.

But it was far from clear whether Israel and Hamas were ready to move ahead in the coming days. Numerous rounds of negotiations have seen hopes rise only to be dashed amid gaps in the two sides’ demands.

Airstrikes in Gaza continued on Thursday, with an Israeli attack killing Mahmoud Salah, the head of Gaza’s police force, and Hussam Shahwan, a top aide, in an airstrike in southern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run government media office.

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