A “final round” of ceasefire negotiations aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza began in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday.

Delegations from Israel and Hamas are understood to be holding talks in the same building for the first time since the conflict began, with representatives from Egypt, Qatar and the US also present.

Joe Biden, the US president, said a deal was “on the brink” of coming to fruition and an Israel official said a deal was possible within “hours, days or more”. 

As of midday on Tuesday, Hamas were reported to have accepted the draft proposal.

The truce will be a multi-stage deal, with the first period lasting 42 days. 

If the conditions for the deal’s initial phase are met, discussions for the second and third stages would begin of the 16th day of the ceasefire taking effect. 

Here is how it is expected to be implemented. 

Stage one

Hamas would release 33 of the 94 Israeli hostages held in Gaza during the first stage, who mainly consist of children, women, men aged over 50 and the wounded or sick.

Among the 33, five female Israeli soldiers would each be released in exchange for 50 Palestinians militants, including 30 who are serving life sentences.

By the end of the first stage, which is expected to last six weeks, all civilian hostages held in Gaza – living or dead – will have been released.

Both sides have agreed that Hamas would release three of the hostages on the first day of the agreement, after which Israeli troops would begin to pull out of populated areas of the enclave, according to the BBC.