Officials from the Palestinian group Hamas have said that an 18-month ceasefire with Israel will be announced within three days.
The officials, speaking in Egypt on Thursday, said the agreement would ensure the end of violence in Gaza and the opening of the territory's border crossings.
Moussa Abu Marzouq, the Hamas deputy political leader, told Al Jazeera that "in two, three days, Inshallah [God willing], we are going to announce the calm situation".
Mahmoud al-Zahar, another senior Hamas official, said the parties were now just waiting for "the technical points - the communication between the Egyptian side with the Israelis in order to address the time ... at what time and what date the ceasefire [will] start".
Al Jazeera's Amr El-Kahky, reporting from Cairo, said the apparent breakthrough came after senior Hamas officials met Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief, on Thursday.
Egyptian officials have been mediating between Israel and Hamas for weeks.
Taher al-Nono, a member of the Hamas delegation in Cairo, said "most of the obstacles that prevented us from reaching an agreement were resolved".
Source: Al Jazeera..read more