Negotiations to free hostages seized by Hamas are at their “closest point” to a deal and have reached the “final stage”, mediator Qatar said.

“We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said, adding negotiations have reached a “critical and final stage”.

Qatar has helped broker talks aiming to free some of the 240 hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire, a mediation effort that has so far led to the release of four hostages, AFP reports.

“We are very optimistic, very hopeful,” Al-Ansari told a briefing. “But we are also very keen for this mediation to succeed in reaching a humanitarian truce,” he said.