Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the US and mediators Qatar have said. Should the Israeli cabinet and government formally approve the agreement, which is yet to happen,

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.

The deal will take place in three different phases, each of which will last for six weeks, according to U.S. and Qatari officials.