Israel is studying Hamas' response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and release of half the hostages still held in Gaza, two Israeli officials said, although one source reiterated that all Israeli captives must be freed for the war to end.

The ball is now in Israel’s court. We would like a positive response from them as soon as possible," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told NBC News.

The proposition the militant group said it agreed to was nearly the same as one that had been offered by Israel last month.

The Palestinian group Hamas on Tuesday filed an appeal to the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC) to challenge the British government's refusal to remove the group from the UK's list of banned terrorist organisations.

With luminous clarity the good and the evil in the Middle East exposes itself. One side cherishes reason, liberty and improved lives of learning, peace and wellbeing. The other argues for and from darkness.

Hamas has told mediators in the Middle East that it accepts a new ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip, as a fresh diplomatic push to end the war gained traction.

Hamas said any coordination with the Red Cross is contingent upon Israel permanently opening humanitarian corridors and halting airstrikes during the distribution of aid.

Hamas’s Attack Confounds Middle East Experts Even those who understand the fundamentalist group best are struggling to understand what they are trying to achieve. By Isabel Fattal

United Nations Secretary-General says famine in Gaza City is a 'failure of humanity'