President-elect Donald Trump has described a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as being "very close," as the Palestinian militant group has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, The Associated Press reported citing two officials involved in the talks.

David Friedman claimed that the ceasefire deal in Gaza shows there will be "no future for Hamas" under President-elect Donald Trump.

The deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

President-elect Donald Trump continued to ramp up the pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal to release the remaining Israeli hostages by Inauguration Day.

Keith Seigel, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander — are among the hostages set to be released from Hamas captivity.

Several stakeholders are optimistic that a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip is close, with one senior western official telling Middle East Eye a deal could be reached as early as Friday and that a final draft of a ceasefire proposal is now in the hands of Israel and Hamas.

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip whilst Israel insists details are still being finalised

Families of hostages held in Gaza are bracing for news of loved ones. Palestinians are preparing to receive freed detainees or try to return to their homes while humanitarian groups hope to send a surge of aid into Gaza.

NEW YORK, January 19. /TASS/. Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President-elect Donald Trump to the Middle East, is considering an opportunity of visiting the Gaza Strip, NBC television said.

America stands hours away from the second Trumpian era. But around the world, it feels like it has already begun.

For more than a year, Alaydi, a Palestinian American teacher living in California, has been working nonstop with an attorney in a heartrending, uphill battle to evacuate nearly two dozen of Alaydi's family members - including small children - who've been trapped in Gaza during Israel's immensely brutal war.