CIA Director William Burns, who is also the chief US negotiator on an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release, said on Saturday that a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made in the next several days, Reuters reported.
Burns, who spoke at a Financial Times event in London alongside MI6 chief Richard Moore, said he was working very hard on "texts and creative formulas" with mediators Qatar and Egypt to secure a ceasefire, by finding a proposal which satisfies both parties.
"We will make this more detailed proposal, I hope in the next several days, and then we'll see," he said, adding that it was a question of political will and he hoped leaders on both sides recognized "the time has come finally to make some hard choices and some difficult compromises".
He said 90% of the paragraphs had been agreed but the last 10% were always the hardest.
"My hope is that you know, they'll recognize what's at stake here and be willing to move ahead on that basis," said Burns.
His comments followed a report in The Washington Post which said the US has been engaging with Egypt and Qatar to outline a final "take it or leave it" deal.
However, the same newspaper reported on Saturday that US officials have announced that they have "indefinitely postponed" the presentation of the final deal.
According to the Post, the latest obstacle is Hamas' "abrupt introduction" of its demand that Israel release high-profile terrorists even in exchange for humanitarian prisoners.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Thursday that it was incumbent on both Israel and Hamas to say yes on remaining issues to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Blinken told a news conference in Haiti that “nearly 90%” of the Gaza ceasefire deal is agreed, but there are critical issues remaining where there are gaps, including the issue of the Philadelphi corridor.
"I expect in the coming days, we will share with Israel, and they (Qatar and Egypt) will share with Hamas our thoughts, the three of us, on exactly how to resolve" the remaining issues, Blinken said.
The United States has been pushing an outline for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that President Joe Biden first laid out in May, but Hamas has continuously rejected every proposal that has been presented to it.