White House says Israel has accepted a new US proposal for a temporary ceasefire

President Donald Trump, right, listens as White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, left, speaks at the White House on Wednesday. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Israel has accepted a new US proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, the White House has said.

The fresh signs of progress towards a temporary truce came after US president Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism earlier this week about brokering an agreement to halt the Israel-Hamas war and return more of the hostages captured in the attack that ignited it.