A senior Israeli official on Tuesday said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any future Gaza deal, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal. Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to the plan,

A key mediator has stressed the urgency of brokering a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas showed a “positive response” to a proposal. But Israel has yet to weigh in as its military prepares an offensive on some of the territory’s most populated areas.

We will agree to a deal on the condition that all the hostages are released in a single phase and in accordance with our terms for ending the war," the PMO said. Hamas has sent a message to the mediators,

The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency visited Qatar on Thursday to revive the cease-fire and hostage exchange talks with Hamas, officials said. David Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Abdulrahman al-Thani in hopes of restarting the peace talks,