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

The deal involves a 60-day pause in fighting and the release of around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

The fragile negotiations between Israel and Hamas have once again entered a decisive phase, marked by the unveiling of a new ceasefire-hostage release proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

Hamas said Monday it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as Israel indicated its positions haven't changed, while Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim confirmed the group's approval on Facebook. Hamas said other Palestinian factions informed mediators of their approval also.

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President Donald Trump said the remaining hostages will only return once Hamas is "confronted and destroyed" as Israel plans to expand its Gaza offensive.

Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with U.S. support, in a bid to halt escalating violence in Gaza. The plan includes the return of half the hostages taken since October 7 and the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel.