The United States has put forward a new proposal that would secure the release of a handful of living hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a month-long extension of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

The two sides are supposed to negotiate a second phase of the cease-fire agreement that would end the war, but they remain far apart on how to move forward.

Israel launched a large-scale military operation centered on Jenin shortly after reaching a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in January. Troops have destroyed homes and infrastructure, and tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes across the northern West Bank.

An Israeli air strike killed four Palestinians in Gaza, the territory's civil emergency service said, as Arab mediators and the United States tried to hammer out differences between Hamas and Israel over a January 19 ceasefire agreement.

The Hamas militant group on Thursday renewed a demand for Israeli troops to withdraw from south Gaza, accusing Israel of seeking to breach the terms of a ceasefire in talks on the next phase of the accord.

DOHA: A senior Hamas official said that a fresh round of Gaza ceasefire talks began on Tuesday (Mar 11) in the Qatari capital Doha, with the Palestinian movement approaching the negotiations "positively and responsibly".

Israeli fire has killed eight people in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours even as a fragile ceasefire with Hamas has largely held.

Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump’s apparent retreat from his proposal for a permanent displacement of Palestinians from Gaza,

Israel said to have responded 'positively' to plan for release of 5 living and 10 dead hostages if ongoing ceasefire further extended; hostage families express 'serious concern' The post Witkoff reportedly presents new proposal for Gaza truce extension to Israel,