In a joint statement, the United States, Qatar and Egypt said Washington had presented a new proposal that built on points of agreement over the past week, closing gaps between the sides in a way that could allow rapid implementation of a deal.

Mediators would continue to work on the proposal in coming days, they said.

"The path is now set for that outcome, saving lives, bringing relief to the people of Gaza, and de-escalating regional tensions," they said in the statement. 

The latest round in months of on-off talks to end the conflict in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, began between Israel and mediators on Thursday. The Palestinian militant group Hamas was not directly involved in the talks but was kept briefed on progress.

A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, told Reuters that Israel "did not abide by what was agreed upon" in earlier talks, citing what mediators had told them about the result of the talks.

In Washington, Biden said a deal was "much, much closer" than had been the case before the talks began.

"I don't want to jinx anything ... we may have something. But we're not there yet," he said.

Sticking points have included Israel's insistence that peace will only be possible if Hamas is destroyed, and Hamas saying it will only accept a permanent, rather than temporary, ceasefire.

Other difficulties have included the sequencing of a deal, the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners to be released alongside Israeli hostages, control over the border between Gaza and Egypt, and free movement for Palestinians inside Gaza.