Hamas says it has agreed to a new Gaza ceasefire proposal as mediators from Qatar and Egypt push to renew talks ahead of a major Israeli assault on Gaza City.

A spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that a "positive response" was received from Hamas over a new Gaza ceasefire.

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.

A key mediator on Gaza is stressing the urgency of brokering a ceasefire after Hamas showed a “positive response” to a proposal

Few of the Israelis taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, have drawn as much attention as the Bibas family — two parents and two small children. For many Israelis, their abductions came to symbolize the brutality of the assault.

Latest Hamas proposal erases most of demands that caused talks to collapse * Hostage families call for second nationwide strike on Sunday

The decision this week by Hamas to accept a proposed ceasefire deal with Israel comes amid heightened pressure on the group from Arab governments and other Palestinian factions, which are eager to avert a planned Israeli invasion of Gaza City.

In a statement issued yesterday, the 150 academics condemned the claims made in that letter, including accusations that Israel is starving Gaza’s residents. Around 150 professors and senior faculty members at Bar-Ilan University criticized a letter from university leadership to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,