"Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators Egypt and Qatar. We have reviewed it positively and accepted it. We hope that the Israeli side will not obstruct it," Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said in a televised speech on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

However, according to Reuters, Mr. al-Hayya stressed that "the weapons of the resistance are a red line", referring to Israel and the US' previous demands that Hamas disarm. Hamas has said it will not give up its weapons as long as Israel is in occupation while Tel Aviv and Washington have stressed that Hamas should have no role in the post-conflict Gaza Strip.

A day earlier, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said talks between the group and mediators on a ceasefire were progressing, as Israel continued its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Sources close to Hamas revealed that negotiations began on the evening of March 27 between the group and mediators from Egypt and Qatar to restore the ceasefire and exchange hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that it had received the proposal from the intermediaries. "Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a series of consultations after receiving the proposal. A few hours ago, Israel sent a counter-proposal to the intermediaries in full coordination with the United States," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, without providing details.

The previous phase one ceasefire ended on March 18, with Israel resuming airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip since 2023, according to Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced on March 29 that it had begun "ground operations" in the Jneina area of ​​Rafah city to expand the security zone in the southern Gaza Strip.