The brother-in-law of an Israeli hostage taken by Hamas said reports of a ceasefire are "a light at the end of the tunnel" - following "so many false dawns".

Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks for more than a year aimed at ending the war in Gaza and returning the hostages to Israel.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the deal told Reuters on Wednesday, opening the way to a possible end to a 15-month war that has upended the Middle East.