The United States has put forward a new proposal that would secure the release of a handful of living hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a month-long extension of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

An Israeli air strike killed four Palestinians in Gaza, the territory's civil emergency service said, as Arab mediators and the United States tried to hammer out differences between Hamas and Israel over a January 19 ceasefire agreement.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, which took hold in January, has halted Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,500 victims, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The Hamas militant group on Thursday renewed a demand for Israeli troops to withdraw from south Gaza, accusing Israel of seeking to breach the terms of a ceasefire in talks on the next phase of the accord.

Israeli fire has killed eight people in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours even as a fragile ceasefire with Hamas has largely held.

The announcement signaled a breakdown in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, the first phase of which expired Saturday with no clear next steps.

Israel said to have responded 'positively' to plan for release of 5 living and 10 dead hostages if ongoing ceasefire further extended; hostage families express 'serious concern' The post Witkoff reportedly presents new proposal for Gaza truce extension to Israel,

Hundreds of aid trucks have entered Gaza daily since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19​, and it was unclear what the immediate impact of the aid cutoff would be.

Israel has introduced what it said was a new U.S. ceasefire plan and is trying to force Hamas to accept it by imposing a siege on the Gaza Strip