Israel is studying Hamas' response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal, two officials said on Tuesday of a potential deal for a 60-day truce and the release of half the Israeli hostages still held in the battered enclave.

Hamas reportedly agreeing to another ceasefire deal with Israel with essentially the same parameters set in earlier discussions.

Hamas's acceptance of the proposal comes as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war.

Protesters in Israel demanding a hostage deal escalated their campaign Sunday with a one-day nationwide strike that blocked roads and closed businesses, as police blasted crowds with water cannons and made dozens of arrests.

Israeli protesters demanding a deal to free hostages in Gaza attempted to shut down the country Sunday in one of the largest and fiercest protests in 22 months of war.

In a statement issued by his office on Sunday, Netanyahu said those calling for an end to the war were “hardening Hamas’s position and delaying the release of the hostages”.