President Donald Trump said negotiators are “very close” to a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, raising optimism for a long-elusive agreement as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the US.

The State Department's decision to impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, follows an unsuccessful U.S. pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post.

Israel and Hamas are nearing a deal for a Gaza ceasefire, although they have yet to agree on the positioning of Israeli troops inside the shattered Palestinian enclave, according to three people familiar with the negotiations.