The father of an Israeli captive held in Gaza says he had travelled to Washington DC with “hope” of a ceasefire but has returned to Israel to a “reality of stagnation that is difficult to bear”, Al Jazeera reports.

Kobi Kalfon, father of Segev Kalfon, told Israeli public radio that he and the other family members of captives were in a “race against time” as their loved ones remained in captivity.

“At the timing we are going through, you expect a breakthrough. Last week, we were in Washington, and I clung to a certain hope. Then we returned to the country, and the negotiations are stuck,” Kobi Kalfon said.

He added that in the US, the “feeling” was that a ceasefire was about to be reached.

“When is it supposed to happen?” he asked.