Hamas, Islamic Jihad approve Gaza truce deal: Palestinian sources

CAIRO: Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have approved a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, two Palestinian sources close to negotiations in Doha said on Wednesday.

"The resistance factions reached an agreement among themselves and informed the mediators of their approval of the [prisoner] exchange deal and ceasefire," one source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Another Palestinian source confirmed their approval of the deal.

Hamas will free 33 hostages held in Gaza, while Israel will release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in the first stage of a Gaza truce agreement, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported Tuesday.

Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States have intensified efforts to finalise the deal in recent days. Qatar said the agreement was in its "final stages".

Any agreement would likely require approval from Israel's cabinet.