A “breakthrough” has been made in efforts to negotiate a framework agreement for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that might end months of fighting in Gaza and lead to the release of hostages, a senior Biden administration official said Thursday.

“We’ve had a breakthrough on a critical impasse,” the official said on a media briefing call, attributing the development to a shift in Hamas’ stance on a framework deal, which the official said was now “fully consistent” with the…