Sources have told the BBC that Israel and Hamas have agreed a deal that could end the war in Gaza and could lead to the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
It was the most dramatic advance in 15 months of war, which began when the Palestinian armed group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
What could be in the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas?
Details of the deal agreed upon by both sides have not yet been announced.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were still several unresolved clauses, which he hoped would be concluded on Wednesday night.
A completed deal would see the war in Gaza cease and an exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Hamas seized 251 hostages when it attacked Israel in October 2023. It still holds 94 in prison, although Israel believes only 60 are still alive.
Israel is expected to release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom have been imprisoned for years, in return for the guards.
How would the ceasefire work?
This ceasefire is expected to happen in three stages, once the agreement is announced.
And although it is now said that both sides have agreed to it, the Israeli security cabinet and the government must approve the agreement before it can be implemented.
Here is what we have reported before that could be in the contract.
The first level
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said 33 hostages – expected to be women, including women, children, the elderly and the sick or injured – would be given for Palestinian prisoners.
Mr Mencer said most of the 33 hostages are believed to be alive, but not all.
Three enemies were immediately released, a Palestinian official told the BBCwith the rest of the exchange taking place over six weeks.
At this point, Israeli soldiers would begin withdrawing from populated areas in Gaza.
Israel will also allow displaced people now in southern Gaza to begin returning to the north.
Almost all of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes due to Israeli evacuation orders, Israeli strikes and fighting on the ground.
There would also be an increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with hundreds of trucks allowed each day.
A Palestinian official said that detailed negotiations for the second and third phases would begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
The second level
It is not clear what would happen in the second phase, but there is a broad outline in the versions released to the media.
The remaining males – soldiers and civilians – would be released in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
Of the 1,000 Palestinian prisoners that Israel is expected to agree to release in full, approximately 190 are serving sentences of 15 years or more. An Israeli official told the BBC that those convicted of murder would not be released to the West Bank.
There would also be a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the start of a “sustainable calm”. That is explained in previous recommendations as a “permanent cessation of hostilities and hostilities”.
The third level
The third and final phase would involve rebuilding Gaza – which could take years – and the return of any other host groups.
Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages, captured in its attack on Israel in October 2023 (Reuters)
What are the unanswered questions about the contract?
Getting to this point has taken months of detailed indirect negotiations, mainly because Israel and Hamas are deeply distrustful of each other.
Hamas wanted a complete end to the war before releasing the enemies, which was not acceptable to Israel.
In fact the ceasefire will stop the war as long as its terms are met.
However, it is not clear whether it will mean that the war is over for good.
One of the main goals of Israel's war is to destroy the military and administrative capabilities of Hamas. Although heavily damaged by Israel, Hamas still has the ability to operate and regroup.
It is also not clear which enemies are alive or dead or if Hamas knows the whereabouts of all the unaccounted for.
For its part, Hamas has demanded the release of some prisoners that Israel says will not be free. This is believed to include those involved in the 7 October attacks.
It is also not known whether Israel will agree to withdraw from the buffer zone by a certain date, or whether its presence there will be open.
Any pause is likely to be fragile.
Ceasefires between Israel and Hamas that stopped previous wars have been shaken by skirmishes and eventually broken.
The timing and complexity of this break means that even a small incident could turn into a major threat.
What happened on 7 October 2023 and what happened in Gaza?
Hundreds of gunmen led by Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, bursting through the border fence and targeting communities, police stations and military bases.
About 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages were taken back to Gaza. Hamas also fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
Israel responded with a massive military campaign, first by air and then a ground attack. Since then, Israel has attacked targets across Gaza by land, sea and air, and Hamas has attacked Israel with rockets.
Israel's offensive has devastated Gaza and led to severe food shortages, with aid struggling to reach those most in need. More than 46,700 people – most of them civilians – have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to Gaza's health ministry which is run by Hamas.
