Hamas on Saturday expressed willingness to reach an agreement with Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it had offered "all possible flexibility" through the Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
"We are ready for a comprehensive deal to release all Israeli prisoners, ensuring a ceasefire and the withdrawal of enemy forces," the Palestinian militant group said.
Sources told The National earlier that the blueprint for a comprehensive deal was being discussed between Israel and the US on one hand and the US and mediators from Qatar and Egypt on the other.
The Hamas announcement follows the Israeli cabinet's approval on Friday for a plan to expand military operations into Gaza city, displacing about one million people, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of plans to reoccupy Gaza.
The Israeli move drew widespread condemnation, including from Israel's allies, and the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency session on Saturday to discuss the development.
Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said many countries had called for the session.
Hamas criticised Israel's plan as a plot to "ethnically cleanse" Palestinians from Gaza.
On Saturday, a group of Arab and Muslim states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, released a joint statement condemning Israel's plan as a "dangerous escalation".
"We consider this announcement a dangerous and unacceptable escalation, a flagrant violation of international law, and an attempt to entrench the illegal occupation and impose a fait accompli/facts on the ground by force, in contravention of international legitimacy," they said.
A deadline of October 7 was given for residents of Gaza city to leave, potentially leaving a window for an agreement to end the war.
Netanyahu says Israel will take over all of Gaza - and wants 'Arab forces' to govern strip
Families of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza have called the plan a "death sentence" for their loved ones. Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said the military would take measures to "safeguard" the captives' lives.
"And as always, we will carry out the mission in the best possible way," Israeli outlet Ynet reported him as saying.
Separately, the foreign ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the UK issued a joint statement warning that "the plans that the government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law".
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s office said Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza city would lead to more “forced displacement, killings, and massive destruction”.
The death toll since the war began on October 7, 2023, rose to 61,639 on Saturday, medical sources told the Palestinian news agency Wafa, after 38 more people were killed over a span of 24 hours.
Eleven more people were died as a result of widespread starvation in Gaza resulting from Israel's blockade on aid for two months since mid-March, the sources said, bringing the total to 212, including 98 children.
