A building destroyed after an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip on March 1, 2024. (Illustrative image: Xinhua/VNA)

It is anticipated that a ceasefire agreement will be announced within the coming days. Negotiators have essentially agreed to a ceasefire that would come into effect before the commencement of the Muslim month of Ramadan, scheduled for Sunday, according to reports from Egypt's Cairo News channel.

The agreement also encompasses the exchange of hostages and prisoners of war between Israel and Hamas, although the specific numbers involved remain unknown.

On Sunday, the first day of the Cairo negotiations, a representative of Hamas said that a ceasefire in Gaza could be achieved within 48 hours if the Israeli side demonstrates genuine willingness and accepts the proposals put forth by negotiators and garners international consensus.

While Israeli officials have not officially commented on reports of an imminent ceasefire in Gaza, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he hopes for a ceasefire agreement, contingent upon the release of hostages during the holy month of Ramadan.

Kirby also said that Hamas has not yet agreed to the terms of a temporary ceasefire within six weeks, in exchange for the release of a number of sick, elderly, and wounded individuals who were held captive by Hamas following an attack on Israel last October.

The US plans to continue delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and aims to establish a sea aid corridor to augment the volume of transported goods, Kirby added.

The Israeli Defense Forces carried out an extensive search in the Palestinian Authority capital of Ramallah in the West Bank, reportedly seeking individuals deemed to be involved in terrorism.

Houthi forces in Yemen announced that they had conducted attacks against the Israeli ship MSC SKY and several US warships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.