US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he is “hopeful” about the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, telling reporters that negotiations are “closer” than they had been in some time, AFP reports.

“We’re hopeful… It appears that generally the terms have been agreed to, but obviously now you need to have talks about how you implement those terms,” Rubio said on the sidelines of a meeting of Southeast Asian countries in Malaysia.

“I think perhaps we’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while, and we’re hopeful, but we also recognise there are still some challenges in the way.”

He acknowledged that previous rounds of talks had fallen apart at similar stages. “One of the fundamental challenges is Hamas’ unwillingness to disarm, which would end this conflict immediately,” Rubio said.

The top US diplomat added that “the Israelis have shown some flexibility”.