Israel and Hamas appeared on Tuesday to be edging close to a deal that would allow the release of some captives held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for some Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during what would be a brief pause in the 46-day war.

The Israeli government announced on Tuesday afternoon that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would hold an unusually intense sequence of meetings with cabinet ministers in the coming hours “in light of developments on the issue of the release of our hostages”.

An Israeli official, speaking anonymously in order to discuss a sensitive matter, said the ministers were expected to vote on whether to approve a brief cease-fire that would allow for an exchange.

Netanyahu, speaking with troops on Israel’s northern border, said Israel was making progress in the hostage negotiations. “I hope we will have good news soon,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ismail Haniya, Hamas’ Qatar-based political leader, told the Reuters news agency that the armed group was “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel.

Hamas and its allies in Gaza captured roughly 240 hostages during their raid on southern Israel on October 7, which also killed an estimated 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has responded with thousands of airstrikes and invaded Gaza with ground forces, killing roughly 13,000 people in the fighting, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory.