Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages during the first phase of an emerging ceasefire agreement being finalized by negotiators in Doha, two Israeli officials said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backing out of a cease-fire deal to release hostages and end the war in Gaza, which has raged for more than a year.

U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators shuttled between the Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha on Tuesday, where officials said a deal to halt the war is near.

The negotiations, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, appear to be making progress after months of failed attempts to achieve a breakthrough.

Negotiators were trying to clinch agreement on Tuesday on the final details of a ceasefire in Gaza after marathon talks in Qatar, with mediators and the warring sides both saying a deal was closer than ever.

Latest news and live updates as a Gaza ceasefire deal is reached after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas.

The hostages are the second set to be released since the multiphase agreement came into effect, raising hopes for a lasting end to the war.

The Middle East team delivered editorially sharp, competitive, well-sourced, visually rich, and all-format reporting as the ceasefire deal was announced,