Hamas has received a proposal for a 40-day ceasefire for the Strip agreed in Paris by Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The truce would involve the handover of some 40 hostages kidnapped by the militia - women, children under 19, people over 50 and sick - in exchange for Israel's release of some 400 Palestinian prisoners.
The pause in fighting would also include the repair of hospitals and bakeries, the entry of 500 trucks a day with humanitarian aid and the delivery of thousands of tents and caravans for the displaced population.