Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages after meetings in Doha, a source quoted by AFP said.
A United States official confirmed the deal.
Pressure to end the fighting has intensified in recent days as mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have stepped up efforts to reach an agreement.
A source close to the talks said Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani had "met with Hamas negotiators in his office for a (final) push" for an agreement.
A source briefed on the negotiations later explained that "the agreement on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release (was) reached after the Qatari prime minister met with Hamas negotiators and separately with Israeli negotiators in his office."
The announcement comes after months of failed attempts to end the deadliest war in Gaza's history and just days before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. The Republican immediately welcomed the agreement before it was formally announced by the White House.
"We have a hostage agreement in the Middle East. They will be released soon. Thank you!" wrote Trump on his Truth Social network.
Before returning to the White House, he warned Hamas that it would pay if it did not free the remaining captives, and the latest negotiations were attended by envoys from both his incoming administration and that of President Joe Biden. | BGNES
