Live Updates: Source says Israel is “highly prepared for Iran’s response.”

American officials remain doubtful that a final diplomatic push in the Middle East this week will lead to a pause in fighting in Gaza ahead of Tuesday's U.S. presidential election, people familiar with the thinking say, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waiting to see who the next American president will be.

Hopes for progress in ending fighting in Lebanon are slightly higher, with the country's prime minister expressing optimism Thursday that a deal to end cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah could be in its final stages.

Any progress in reducing temperatures in the region is seen as a victory in the White House. Still, the feeling that Netanyahu is waiting out the U.S. election campaign – a long-held view in the Biden administration – remains strong as senior envoys travel to the region to discuss prospects for an end to the violence.

CIA Director Bill Burns was in Cairo on Thursday for talks on Gaza and Lebanon, including a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

At the same time, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein and White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk are in Israel for talks on hostage-taking and ceasefires, as well as a discussion on Iran, focusing on the U.S. policy of “de-escalation supported by deterrence ” goes.

Hopes for an agreement to end fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border have been boosted by progress in talks in recent days, and Hochstein was expected to continue talks this week.

Read more about the diplomatic push.