Displaced Palestinians who fled Rafah, ahead of a threatened Israeli assault, travel in Khan Younis.

-Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Monday it had agreed to a three-phased deal for a ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap, although an Israeli official said the deal was not acceptable to Israel because terms had been "softened".

The United States, which alongside Qatar and Egypt has played a mediation role in the talks, said it was studying the Hamas response and would discuss it with Middle East allies.

Based on details announced so far by Hamas officials, a copy of the proposal and an official briefed on the talks, the deal that the Palestinian group said it had agreed to included the following:

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PHASE ONE

- 42-day ceasefire period

- Hamas freeing 33 Israeli hostages, alive or dead, in return for Israel releasing 30 children and women for each released Israeli hostage, based on lists provided by Hamas according to the earliest date of detention.

- Starting from the first day of the ceasefire, the entry of intensive and sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid, relief materials, and fuel (600 trucks per day, including 50 fuel trucks, of which 300 are for the north), including the fuel necessary for operating the power plant, trade, and equipment needed for rubble removal, rehabilitation and operation of hospitals, health centres and bakeries in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the continuation of this in all stages of the agreement.

- Hamas will release three Israeli hostages on the third day of the agreement, and then release three more hostages every seven days, prioritising women if possible, including civilians and conscripts.

- In the sixth week, Hamas will release all remaining civilian hostages covered by this phase. In exchange, Israel will release the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, according to the lists that will be provided by Hamas.

– Israel partially withdraws troops from Gaza and allows the free movement of Palestinians from south to north Gaza.

- Cessation of military flights over the Gaza Strip will take place for 10 hours per day and 12 hours on the day of releasing the hostages and prisoners.

- On the third day after releasing the first Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli forces will completely withdraw from al-Rashid street in northern Gaza, and all military sites will be dismantled.

• On the 22nd day of the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from the centre of the strip, east of Salah al-Din road to an area near the Israeli border.

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PHASE TWO

- Another 42-day period that features an agreement to restore a "sustainable calm" to Gaza, language that an official briefed on the talks said Hamas and Israel had agreed in order to take discussion of a "permanent ceasefire" off the table.

- The complete withdrawal of most Israeli troops from Gaza.

- Hamas releases Israeli reservists and some soldiers in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from jail.

PHASE THREE

- The completion of exchanging bodies and starting the implementation of reconstruction according to the plan overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations.

- Ending the complete blockade on the Gaza Strip.

• Start of the implementation of a 3-5 year plan for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, including homes, civilian facilities and infrastructure, and compensation for all those affected, under the supervision of a number of countries and organisations including Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.

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US says it is studying Hamas response on Gaza ceasefire, will discuss with allies

The United States is studying Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal and will discuss it with allies in the Middle East in the coming hours, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday.

An Israeli official said no ceasefire agreement had been reached despite the Palestinian militant group Hamas saying on Monday it had accepted a proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators after weeks of stop-start talks on a deal for a temporary pause in fighting and the release of hostages to Israel.

"I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region," Miller said on Monday afternoon, confirming that a response was received in the last hour or 90 minutes and that discussions would take place in the coming hours.

CIA director Bill Burns is in the region "working on this in real time," Miller said.

The Hamas announcement came hours after Israel ordered the evacuation of parts of Rafah, the city on Gaza's southern edge that has served as the last sanctuary for around half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.

That appeared to signal that an operation on Rafah will go ahead, despite Washington's repeated warnings, including by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a visit to Israel last week, where he also focused on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Miller reiterated that the United States could not support an operation in Rafah "as it is currently envisioned" by Israel.

"A Rafah operation would make it incredibly difficult to sustain the increases in humanitarian assistance that we have been able to deliver over the past few weeks," Miller said.

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Israel rejects Hamas ceasefire offer

Israel rejected a ceasefire offer from Hamas on Monday night, vowing to continue with its invasion of the southern Gazan city of Rafah and saying a last-minute proposal had failed to meet its key demands.

Hamas officials said on Monday that they had agreed to a ceasefire deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar that would see it release hostages in exchange for the end of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

But Israel later said the terms of the deal were “far from” its “obligatory demands” and that it would continue with a planned ground invasion of Rafah “in order to apply military pressure to Hamas” and to free hostages.

Mr Netanyahu’s office said it would send a negotiating team to Egypt to discuss an agreement, but officials earlier warned that the Hamas plan “would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal”.

On Monday night, Israeli jets launched a bombardment of Rafah, striking 50 targets according to the IDF. Earlier in the day, Israel signalled that it had begun its long-awaited offensive on the city, warning 100,000 people to evacuate an eastern section.

By the early hours of Tuesday, two sources had reported seeing IDF tanks enter the city.

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An Egyptian official told Associated Press that the ground operation so far appeared to be limited in scope. He and Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV said Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that the troops would withdraw after completing the operation, according to AP. The IDF declined to comment.

The launch of the operation came despite fierce opposition from Israel’s key allies. Joe Biden, the US president, urged Mr Netanyahu not to go ahead with the invasion in the hours before news broke of Hamas’s ceasefire offer.

“We’ve made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk,” said John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesman.

“During this call with prime minister Netanyahu, the president again made this clear. He also made clear that we continue to believe that the hostage deal is the best way to avoid that sort of an outcome.”

Mr Kirby added that the White House was examining Hamas’s ceasefire proposal and would soon communicate its views to Qatar, Israel and Egypt. He said Mr Netanyahu had agreed to keep aid flowing into Gaza through Kerem Shalom, the key crossing into the south of the Strip.

Four Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack at the crossing on Sunday, which was claimed by the armed wing of Hamas.

On Monday, Rishi Sunak said he was “deeply concerned” by the prospect of a Rafah offensive, and Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, called for it to be dropped entirely.

Jordan’s King Abdullah, who met Mr Biden in Washington on Monday, said the Israeli attack on Rafah threatened a “new massacre”.

Palestinians had taken to the streets of the city on Monday to celebrate news of a potential peace deal – but the launch of Israeli strikes dampend hopes that Rafah would be spared.

“There was a lot of tension in the morning because of the leaflets the army was dropping [warning people to evacuate] – many people were distressed and tried to leave, roads were clogged,” Said, a 35-year-old, told The Telegraph on Monday night.

“In the evening, we got the news. People want to be happy, but they’re cautious and waiting, and we still hear bombings. We really hope the war in Gaza will stop and we will see better days.”

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas member, said the group had signed up to an Israeli-backed deal in three stages of 42 days, with hostages released in the first stage and the war ended in the second stage.

He said the deal would also involve the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

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Israeli sources told local media that the terms suggested by Hamas on Monday had been “softened” since a framework agreement proposed by Israel last week, which would have involved three prisoners being released every three days the ceasefire lasted.

The deal supported by Hamas would instead have seen three hostages released each week, according to Israeli media reports.

Foreign diplomats briefed on the ceasefire negotiations later told Reuters that the deal Hamas offered was close to that proposed by Israel on April 27. “What happens next depends on Israel to accept or reject Hamas’s response. The ball is in Israel’s court,” said a source.

One US official told Reuters that Mr Netanyahu had “not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations [with Hamas] in good faith”.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said Israel was “exploring every single thing that we hear”, but that no deal had been reached.

“We are exhausting the potential of negotiations and bringing back the hostages and that is our main mission, to bring them home as quickly as possible,” he added. “But in parallel, we are continuing to act in an operational manner in the Gaza Strip, and we will continue to do so.”

The months-long negotiations over a ceasefire have been held up by disagreements over the number of hostages to be released by Hamas, and whether the war would end once they had been returned.

Despite pressure from the US, Mr Netanyahu has said he will continue with the Rafah offensive to “eliminate Hamas’s battalions there, with or without a deal”.

Hamas’s acceptance of a ceasefire deal increased internal pressure on Mr Netanyahu to end the war, with the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcoming the Hamas announcement and calling for an agreement.

The group said: “Now it’s time for the Israeli government to prove, with action, its commitment to its citizens. The cabinet must take Hamas’s acceptance and turn it into a deal for returning all [hostages].”

But Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, said Hamas was playing “games” and called for Israel to occupy Rafah immediately, adding: Military pressure must be increased until the complete defeat of Hamas and its absolute surrender.”

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Inside the Gaza ceasefire deal that was accepted by Hamas but rejected by Israel

Hamas has accepted the a proposed ceasefire deal over the war in Gaza – but Israel, who have just launched attacks on Rafah – the last remaining area of the Gaza Strip yet to be invaded – has rejected it. Talks over a truce are said to be continuing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the proposal, which was agreed over the weekend and calls for the eventual complete withdrawal of Israel’s military from the Gaza Strip, would “leave Hamas intact”.

“Surrendering to the demands of Hamas would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel," he said in a video statement.

Here we look at exactly what was included in the proposal.

The proposed plan is broken down into three 42-day stages, with the majority of requirements of both sides taking place during the first stage.

In the first 42 days, there would be “a temporary cessation of military operations between the two parties”, followed by a “withdrawal of Israeli forces eastward and away from densely populated areas”.

That withdrawal will happen in three stages. The first, after three days, should see Israel withdraw from strongholds in the northern half of the enclave and “dismantle military sites and installations in this area”.

The second stage, after 22 days of the ceasefire, which is when half the living civilian captives in Gaza, including female soldiers, should have been released, the Israeli military should withdraw from areas in central Gaza.

At the end of the first 42-day stage, Israel should be prepared to withdraw entirely from the Gaza Strip.

Internally displaced civilians in Gaza should be permitted to return to their homes as the Israeli military withdraws from the affected area.

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The proposal, which Al Jazeera has seen, adds that Israel’s warplanes should cease flying over Gaza for 10 hours a day and 12 hours when Israeli hostages are being swapped for Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, 600 trucks of humanitarian aid are due to be delivered on a daily basis, starting from the first day of the ceasefire.

The proposal reads: “Humanitarian aid, relief materials and fuel (600 trucks a day, including 50 fuel trucks, and 300 trucks for the north) shall be allowed into Gaza in an intensive manner and in sufficient quantities from the first day. This is to include the fuel needed to operate the power station, restart trade, rehabilitate and operate hospitals, health centres and bakeries in all parts of the Gaza Strip, and operate equipment needed to remove rubble. This shall continue throughout all stages.”

Infrastructure, including electricity, water, sewage, communications and roads, will be rebuilt and all equipment needed for reconstruction, as well as the removal of rubble and debris, should be allowed into Gaza.

A minimum of 60,000 caravans and 200,000 tents will also be allowed into the enclave to house those whose homes have been destroyed.

Regarding hostages, the text reads: “During the first phase, Hamas shall release 33 Israeli captives (alive or dead), including women (civilians and soldiers), children (under the age of 19 who are not soldiers), those over the age of 50, and the sick, in exchange for a number of prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centres.”

The ratio of swaps would be one Israeli hostage for 30 Palestinian prisoners, and the swaps will be direct, namely one female soldier for one female prisoner.

The prisoners will be those being held in Israeli prisons and named on the release list by Hamas, a list that will also be approved by Israel.

The first three Israeli hostages will be released on the third day of the agreement, after which Hamas should release three additional hostages every seven days, starting with women, including female soldiers.

In the sixth week of exchanges, Hamas should “release all remaining civilian detainees”.

The second and third stages relate to Israel’s “complete withdrawal” from the Gaza Strip and the subsequent reconstruction of the enclave.

The proposal says the second stage concerns “a return to sustainable calm”, including a permanent cessation of military operations and the final exchanges of captives and prisoners, which should include all remaining living Israeli men, both civilian and military.

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The third and final stage should involve the “exchange of the bodies and remains of the dead on both sides after they have been retrieved and identified”.

A reconstruction plan over a period of three to five years will then commence, including the rebuilding of homes, civilian facilities and infrastructure, under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.

Israel Balks at Hamas’ ‘Far-Reaching’ Ceasefire Proposal as Rafah Invasion Looms

Hamas said it agreed to a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar on Monday, just as Israel prepares to launch a controversial military operation in Rafah—a city in the southern Gaza Strip that’s currently home to tens of thousands of war refugees.

That agreement doesn’t appear to have satisfied Israel, however. An unnamed official told Reuters the agreement was “softened” from what Israel has demanded, reportedly adding that it was too “far-reaching” for Israel to give its own green light.

Details on what the agreement entailed were not released, and it remains unclear if the deal will have any impact on Israel’s planned operation in Rafah.

Israeli leaders have long said they wouldn’t accept a ceasefire deal—permanent or temporary—without the release of all Israeli hostages captured in Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 raid into the country.

The announcement came hours after Israel ordered over 100,000 Gazans to evacuate Rafah on Monday—a maneuver seen as clearing the area ahead of an attack on the city, which for months had served as a relatively safe refuge for Palestinian civilians fleeing Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

Israel has defended the imminent assault by claiming Rafah is hosting the last bastion of Hamas, which it has vowed to eradicate entirely before it ends military operations in the besieged enclave.

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Rumors of an imminent Rafah offensive drew condemnation from the west, including from France, who said the displacement of refugees from the city would be a war crime. President Joe Biden, who reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also relayed that the U.S. opposes an assault there on humanitarian grounds.

Biden has pushed for a ceasefire for months, but reports out of the Middle East indicate Israel and Hamas remain far from reaching an agreement that would end the war—which has killed an estimated 35,000 people, the vast majority of which were Palestinians.