Progress in cease-fire talks has raised hopes a deal could be reached to release some of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip and pause fighting that has dragged on for 15 months.

The basic framework, officials familiar with the talks say, is an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a six-week ceasefire. Mediators are applying pressure on all parties.

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.