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.

Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are making a final push to seal a Gaza ceasefire in Doha, with all sides suggesting an agreement is almost done. There were reports of a breakthrough on Wednesday, with unnamed Israeli officials cited as saying that Hamas had agreed to the latest draft presented by Qatari,

The fighting brought in anti- Israel militias in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, threatening a regional conflagration that appears to have so far been prevented. The U.S. says a ceasefire in Gaza will calm the Middle East and ensure a wider war doesn’t erupt.