Officials confirm that Hamas has agreed to a draft agreement for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

According to The Associated Press, Hamas has agreed to a draft cease-fire deal with Israel that would involve the release of dozens of hostages. This potential agreement marks the first sign in months that the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been ongoing for over a year, could be coming to an end.

The possible agreement between Israel and Hamas will occur in three phases, with the first phase beginning with a 42-day cease-fire. During this time, 33 hostages, including children, women, female soldiers, men over the age of 50, and humanitarian cases, will be released. In return, Hamas will receive hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile detainees. According to an Israeli government official, "most" of the 33 hostages abducted by Hamas from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, are still alive.

The Israeli government official stated that there is a "cost" for the terrorist group to release the captives. Despite this, the source assured that Israel will not depart from the Gaza Strip until all of its hostages have returned home.

With the first phase of the agreement, Israel would withdraw from certain areas of northern Gaza, enabling Palestinians to return to their homes. Nonetheless, security experts caution that this may enable Hamas to reconstruct itself.

During the initial stage of the agreement, humanitarian assistance would be provided to the Gaza Strip.

The second phase of the negotiations between Hamas and Israel is expected to be negotiated during the first phase. According to a draft agreement, Hamas will release the remaining living hostages in exchange for a "complete withdrawal" of Israeli forces from Gaza. An Egyptian official claims that before the end of the first phase, there will be deals for phases two and three.

An Israeli government official informed Planet Chronicle that this is the first time since November 2023 that they are seriously engaging in negotiations with Hamas, and they are not using negotiations as a ploy.

The deal was made possible due to several factors, including the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and domestic pressure against the terror group.

Over 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage in Hamas' brutal attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which led to a 15-month war resulting in the deaths of thousands.

Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.