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.

A Hamas official said the group has rejected an Israeli proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, and that negotiations are continuing. That came after an Israeli official said the ceasefire talks hit last-minute snag, potentially holding up the deal.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent the past year trying to mediate an end to the war sparked by Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023.