Hamas says it is currently consulting with other Palestinian factions before delivering a final response to a new US-backed proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

The militant group, in a statement on Friday, said it was reviewing the offer with input from regional mediators Qatar and Egypt, and would communicate its decision once consultations are complete.

The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, a staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza. Crucially, it also promises an immediate increase in humanitarian aid into the enclave under UN and Red Cross supervision. Hamas, however, is demanding guarantees that Israeli military operations will not resume once the truce ends.

US President Donald Trump expressed hope on Friday that Hamas would respond within 24 hours, saying that Israel had already accepted the conditions necessary to pause the nearly 20-month-long conflict. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza. At least 15 Palestinians were killed overnight in southern Khan Younis, including the brother of 13-year-old Mayar al-Farr. “There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother,” she said through tears at his funeral.

In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages rallied outside the US embassy, urging Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalize a deal.

“There has to be a final, detailed agreement between Israel and Hamas,” said Ruby Chen, whose son was killed and taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas attack. Netanyahu has vowed to bring all hostages home but has not committed to ending the war, saying the campaign will continue until Hamas’s capabilities are dismantled. Over 57,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

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