Israel is studying Hamas' response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and release of half the hostages still held in Gaza, two Israeli officials said, although one source reiterated that all Israeli captives must be freed for the war to end.

Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the 22-month war sparked by its Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel. Israel has not yet responded and says it is still committed to defeating the militant group.

Hamas has endorsed a new proposal for a ceasefire deal with Israel in Gaza, as it faces pressure from Arab countries and seeks to ensure its own survival.

As Israel expands operations in the enclave, Gazans increasingly voice defiance against Hamas, with dissenters risking their lives to demand freedom from the group’s grip.

Hamas has agreed to a cease-fire proposal calling for the terror group to free more than half of the remaining hostages in Gaza, including 10 living captives, in exchange for a 60-day truce,

Hamas informed the Egyptian and Qatari mediators that it had agreed to the latest Gaza hostage-ceasefire proposal on Monday. The latest Gaza ceasefire proposal agreed by Hamas is "almost identical" to an earlier plan put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff,

It was unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was on board with the terms, which came as Qatar and Egypt were intensifying mediation efforts.

Palestinians fled parts of Gaza City Thursday after the Israeli military began the first stages of its planned offensive — as officials vowed to completely obliterate the “battered and