Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal following meetings with Qatar's prime minister, a source briefed on the talks has told the BBC. There was no confirmation from the Israeli government or Hamas, but a Hamas official earlier told the BBC it had approved a draft from Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators.

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. Earlier, an invitation by Qatar's state news agency said the news conference would be hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani,

Qatar and the United States announced Wednesday a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, adding they hoped it would pave the way for a permanent end to the war in Gaza.After mediators earlier said a deal had been reached,