Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposal, Israel's approval needed

The latest Gaza ceasefire proposal agreed by Hamas is "almost identical" to an earlier plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"We are still waiting for Israel's response to this proposal," Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said.

Some Palestinians voiced hope that Israel would accept a proposed ceasefire, while others doubt it will be approved, fearing the war would continue. One said," I don't think it will end the war because he (referring to Israel) has other goals, which is to complete the destruction of Gaza.”

Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City. The proposal includes the release of 200 Palestinian convicts jailed in Israel and an unspecified number of imprisoned women and minors, in return for 10 living and 18 deceased hostages from Gaza, according to a Hamas official.