Hamas negotiators are in the final stages of striking a deal that would include the release of at least 50 hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting, the chief of the terrorist group said on Tuesday.

Hamas leaders are “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement provided to Reuters. The agreement is in its “final stages” and a deal is “closer than it has ever been,” a source familiar with the negotiations told the wire service.

As part of the deal, Hamas would release at least 50 women and children who were kidnapped during the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. In exchange, Israel would pause its fighting in the Gaza Strip for four or five days, and release three Palestinian prisoners for every civilian released, according to multiple news outlets.

Hamas would also gather any other women and children hostages during the pause in fighting, according to CNN. The temporary ceasefire could be extended for more hostages to be released.

Israeli sources told CNN the deal could be finalized today. Qatar, which is mediating the negotiations, is expected to announce the deal.

Any negotiated cease-fire would only be temporary, Mark Regev, the senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to a Fox News report.

“It will only be a temporary ceasefire,” he said. “They need that time out and, as a result, we believe the probability of their agreeing to release our people has gone up.”

But, Regev added, “it’s not done until it’s done.”

Hamas terrorists captured about 240 hostages and killed more than 1,000 people, most of them civilians, during their raid of Israel last month. Israeli officials believe Hamas has murdered at least a couple of the hostages, and Hamas officials have said at least one hostage died after suffering a heart attack during Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.