Hamas on Tuesday rejected a ceasefire proposal outlined by President Joe Biden, Israeli officials told media outlets.
Axios and the Times of Israel both reported that Israeli officials told them Hamas rejected the terms of the proposal, which calls for a phased agreement that would see Hamas free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the eventual permanent end of the conflict.
Reuters reported that mediators Egypt and Qatar received a response from Hamas to the proposal in which the terrorist group proposed a new timeline for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including Rafah.
Asked about the response, a Hamas official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters: "We reiterated our previous stance. I believe there no big gaps. The ball is now in the Israeli courtyard."
Egyptian officials were not immediately available for further comment.
The Egyptian ministry said Doha and Cairo, along with the United States, will continue their mediation efforts until a deal is reached, adding that they will study the response and coordinate the next steps with concerned parties.
The Egyptian statement came shortly after Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a statement in which they expressed "readiness to positively" reach a deal to end the war in Gaza and said they submitted their response to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
The United Nations Security Council on Monday backed Biden's proposal.
Biden on Friday laid out what he called a "three-phase" Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza which would include negotiations for a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave as well as an exchange of some Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.