Gold prices held steady on Thursday, paring an earlier drop of nearly 1%, while a firmer dollar and fading hopes for near-term interest rate cuts due to higher oil prices continued to weigh. Spot gold was down 0.1% at $5,172.86 per ounce as of 0221 GMT. U.S. gold futures for April delivery was unchanged at $5,178. “Given a lack of a short-term exit for the Middle East conflict right now,