Qatar's Foreign Ministry will hold a news conference on Wednesday in Doha where the country has been hosting talks towards a Gaza ceasefire deal, a senior Qatari official said.

The first phase, spanning a 42-day ceasefire, would see the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, U.S. officials said.

The terms of a deal between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages are being finalised, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations has told the BBC. It comes as White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said a truce and hostage deal could be done "this week".