Hamas said Monday it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would still need Israel's approval, as Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,

Hamas has told Egyptian and Qatari mediators it is willing to accept a ceasefire proposal to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages, said a diplomat briefed on the talks. They said the Palestinian militant group had agreed to a deal that would preserve “98 per cent” of a proposal first put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff in May,

Hamas has agreed to the latest proposal from regional mediators for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, a source in the Palestinian armed group has told the BBC.

Israel is intensifying its strikes on Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban centre, as it plans to seize it.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli gunfire killed at least 25 people seeking aid in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials and witnesses said, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will “allow” Palestinians to leave during an upcoming military offensive in some of the territory’s most populated areas.