US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken by phone - Biden's final week in office - as momentum builds towards a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Israel and Hamas are understood to be making progress but uncertainty remains over key aspects of the potential agreement.

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.