GAZA - Hamas said on Thursday evening that it is ready to immediately begin negotiations on a deal to swap all Israeli hostages with an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, in a bid to completely stop the Gaza war.

Hamas expressed "readiness to immediately begin negotiations on a comprehensive package, whereby all prisoners held by the resistance and an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners in the occupation's prisons are released," Khalil Al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, said in a video speech.

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This is "in exchange for a complete cessation of the war against our people, a full (Israeli) withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the start of reconstruction, and the end of the (Israeli) siege," Al-Hayya said.

Al-Hayya accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government of "using partial agreements as a cover" for Netanyahu's "political agenda, which is based on continuing the war," adding that Hamas "will not be part of implementing this policy."

On Monday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators had presented to Hamas a new deal proposal that includes the release of about 10 hostages and a temporary truce. Hamas said in a statement that it was reviewing the proposal, and would submit its response after completing internal consultations.

On Tuesday, Hamas said it had lost contact with the group that captured Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander after an Israeli bombardment targeted their location.

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On Wednesday, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister instructed Israeli negotiators to "continue the steps" for the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

Since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on Gaza on March 18, 1,691 people have been killed and 4,464 others injured, Gaza health authorities said Thursday.