GAZA: A top Hamas official said on Saturday that the Islamist militant group is studying an Israeli counterproposal regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, as a ground assault on the city of Rafah looms.
"Hamas will examine this proposal and submit a response," Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy head of the group's political arm in Gaza, said in a statement posted on Telegram.
He said the Israeli side was responding to a proposal Hamas had presented to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13.
Negotiations aimed at releasing hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip and securing a ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory have been deadlocked for months.
But Israel's preparations for a large-scale ground offensive on Rafah - the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip and the territory's last Hamas stronghold - is reportedly putting pressure on the group.
US media outlet Axios reported on Friday, citing two senior Israeli officials, that Israel had warned Egypt that this would be the "last chance" to strike a deal before its Rafah operations begin.
Axios and Israeli media reported that Hamas and Israel are at loggerheads over the scope of the deal, including how many hostages could be released and how long the ceasefire would last. Hamas is demanding a permanent ceasefire, which Israel rejects.
Israel's allies and critics have for months implored Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off the invasion of Rafah, fearing mass civilian casualties. More than a million displaced Palestinians from other parts of the Gaza Strip have taken shelter there.