Mahdi al-Mashat, the president of the Houthi political council, met with Omani and Saudi delegations on Sunday to finalise plans for a permanent ceasefire and an overarching peace plan, Houthi-run news agency Saba reported.

A previous ceasefire expired in October and although there were violations, it has largely held since.

Photos released of two delegations shaking hands on Sunday marked the first time that Saudi officials have been publicly received in Houthi-controlled Sanaa since 2015, though another visit was reported to have taken place earlier this year. Most of the Houthi demands in the negotiations are expected to have been met in the agreed deal.

Sources familiar with the negotiations said the plan is to initially renew a ceasefire for six months, putting a stop to military actions across the country. Over this time, the restrictions imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaa airport and from the Houthis on the sea ports of Hodeidah will be lifted.

One snag is said to be that some nearby countries are hesitant to allow flights from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to resume over security concerns. The Houthis are being asked to end their siege of Taiz, which has been in place since the war’s early days.

The joint plan includes the payment of the Houthis’ state employees, including armed forces, by revenue generated from oil and gas in the south of the country.

There will then be a second set of negotiations in which Yemen’s parties should begin peace talks. A Yemeni government official said peace talks between the internationally recognised government and the Houthis would take place after the six-month truce.

The plan is designed to pave the way for a two-year “transition” period for Yemen, though the sources briefed on the negotiations said it remains unclear what that will look like in reality.