JERUSALEM / GAZA / CAIRO - Israel is "seriously considering" a US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would also secure the release of Israeli hostages, an Israeli official said on Sunday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the plan was delivered to Hamas over the weekend and described it as "President Donald Trump's proposal."

Israel's Channel 12 reported that under the plan, Israel would cancel its offensive to capture Gaza City. All 48 hostages still held in Gaza -- including about 20 believed to be alive -- would be freed on the first day of the truce in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Negotiations to end the war would then begin under Trump's mediation, with the ceasefire in place while talks continue.

Hamas said in a statement late on Sunday that it had received several US proposals and was ready to "immediately sit at the negotiating table" to discuss the release of all captives in return for "a clear declaration ending the war, full withdrawal from Gaza, and the formation of a committee to govern the Gaza Strip with independent Palestinians assuming their duties immediately."

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those held in Gaza, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to back the deal. "We call on the Israeli government to announce its unconditional support for the emerging agreement," the group said.

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Netanyahu has not responded to mediators' earlier proposal for a partial deal that Hamas approved last month.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: "The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well," warning that refusal would bring consequences.

Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18. At least 11,911 Palestinians have been killed and 50,735 wounded since then, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 64,455, with 162,776 injured, Gaza health authorities said on Sunday.

Hostage release 

Hamas said on Sunday it was ready to discuss the release of all hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza, a full Israeli withdrawal, and the creation of an independent Palestinian committee to govern the enclave.

The Palestinian movement said it had received through intermediaries "ideas" from the American side for a ceasefire agreement and welcomed any initiative aimed at halting the fighting.

Hamas also called for guarantees of Israel's "clear and explicit commitment" to any agreement, warning against a repeat of past deals it said were rejected or abandoned.

US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Sunday that "the Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well," adding: "This is my last warning, there will not be another one!"

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel was "seriously considering" the US proposal, which was delivered to Hamas over the weekend and described it as "President Donald Trump's proposal."

Israel's Channel 12 reported that under the plan, Israel would cancel its offensive to capture Gaza City. All 48 hostages still held in Gaza -- including about 20 believed to be alive -- would be freed on the first day of the truce in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Talks on ending the war would then begin under Trump's mediation, with the ceasefire remaining in place while negotiations continue.

50 killed across Gaza

At least 50 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army on Sunday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

According to WAFA, 46 of the victims were in the northern part of the enclave.

Since dawn on Sunday, the Israeli army has "completely destroyed more than 50 buildings and partially damaged 100 others, including high-rise buildings housing thousands of citizens," Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said in a statement.

Basal described the day as "one of the most difficult days of the war" since March 18, noting that his teams "are exhausted by the intensity of the continuous targeting of the city."

High-rise in Gaza bombed

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it had bombed another high-rise building in Gaza City.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV identified the building as Al-Rouya, a multi-story residential building located in the southwestern part of Gaza City. Video footage shared on social media showed huge clouds of debris as the building was blasted.

In a statement, the Israeli military said Hamas militants used the building to plant intelligence-gathering devices and set up observation posts to monitor the location of IDF troops in the area.

The military had previously issued evacuation orders for the building and urged residents of famine-stricken Gaza City to flee south ahead of another escalation in the offensive. Nearly one million people are seeking shelter in the city, with most of them having been displaced multiple times.

Speaking during his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the onslaught. "We are deepening the maneuver on the outskirts of Gaza City and inside Gaza City," he said.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Nahal Brigade carried out intensive bombing on the Zeitoun neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City. An Israeli military spokesperson said they aimed to dismantle a tunnel spanning hundreds of meters. According to the spokesperson, inside the tunnel, troops found an operations room used by Hamas' Zeitoun Battalion to coordinate attacks against Israeli soldiers.

Video footage released by the Israeli army showed a massive blast along the tunnel route, with plumes of debris rising above.

Israel began a new offensive on Gaza City several days ago, with senior officials stating that the troops will "conquer" the city.

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In the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes killed at least 87 people and injured 409 others, bringing the total death toll since Oct 7, 2023, to 64,368 people, with 162,776 injuries, according to Gaza's health authorities.

Egyptian FM, Fatah official discuss Gaza ceasefire

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met in Cairo on Sunday with Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Central Committee of the Palestinian Fatah movement, to discuss Egypt's efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

During their meeting, Abdelatty reviewed efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

He stressed Egypt's categorical rejection of Israeli military operations in Gaza, plans to displace Palestinians from their land, acts of "genocide," and the use of starvation as a weapon against the Palestinian people.

The top Egyptian diplomat also emphasized the importance of Israel's acceptance of the ceasefire proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, which is based on the initiative of the US special envoy to the Middle East.

Regarding the West Bank, Abdelatty condemned Israel's settlement plan in the E1 area as well as other illegal practices there.

The two sides also discussed ways to mobilize international support for the recognition of a Palestinian state, in addition to the expected outcomes of the international conference on implementing the two-state solution, to be held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings this month.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's full support for the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.