Israel ‘signed on’ to Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal

Palestinians wounded in an Israeli strike while waiting for humanitarian aid on the beach in Gaza City are treated in Shifa Hospital in Gaza City (Mahmoud Essa/AP)

Israel has essentially endorsed the framework of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior US administration official said.

The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes a six-week ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered to be vulnerable, including the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, the official said.