The first phase of a Gaza truce deal being negotiated in Qatar would see 33 Israeli hostages released, sources close to the talks and Israeli media said on Tuesday. Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have intensified efforts to clinch a deal in recent days, with a source briefed on the negotiations telling AFP earlier on Tuesday that a "final round of talks" was due to begin in Doha.

Two sources close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that an initial swap would involve the release of 33 hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

They are among 94 hostages held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war. This figure includes 34 captives the Israeli military says are dead.

The Times of Israel news website, citing Israeli officials familiar with the negotiations, reported that "the first phase of the deal includes 33 humanitarian cases."

One of the two sources close to the talks said that the "first stage of the agreement stipulates the release of 33 Israeli hostages in batches, starting with children and women".

According to the Times of Israel report, Israeli officials believe that the 33 hostages included in the proposed initial swap are alive.

Israel, however, was awaiting confirmation of their status, the report said.

"If the first stage is carried out, then on the 16th day of the deal taking effect, Israel will begin negotiations on a second stage to free the remaining captives," the report said.

These include "male soldiers, men of military age and the bodies of slain hostages", it added.

Last week, Hamas indicated that the group had agreed to release 34 hostages in the first stage of a multi-phase deal.

Israeli media also reported on Tuesday that under the proposed deal, Israel would be allowed to maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza during the implementation of the first phase.

The Israeli military "is not expected to withdraw from Gaza until all hostages are returned, but it will allow movement of residents from southern Gaza to the north of the strip", said left-leaning newspaper Haaretz.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire and hostage release deal was nearly finalised, adding that it was based on a three-phase truce plan he had unveiled in late May.

"In the war between Israel and Hamas, we're on the brink of a proposal... finally coming to fruition," Biden said in a farewell speech at the State Department.

The key sticking points in talks have been disagreements over the permanence of any ceasefire and the scale of humanitarian aid for Palestinian territory.

Other points of contention include the return of displaced Gazans to their homes, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian territory, and the reopening of border crossings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and has opposed any Palestinian governance of the territory.

The ongoing of talks in Qatar are being conducted with Hamas and Israeli negotiations present in two separate rooms, according to a source familiar with talks.

Any deal would likely require the approval of the Israeli cabinet, according to media reports.