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.

Qatar will hold a briefing shortly in Doha as Israel and Hamas make a final push for a Gaza ceasefire. Negotiators in Qatar appeared close to sealing a deal for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza between Israel and the militant group Hamas after 15 months of war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.