Hamas has communicated its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators – in a statement released just now.

The statement said that the head of Hamas’ Politburo Chief “Ismail Haniyeh called Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence, Mr. Abbas Kamel, informing them of Hamas's acceptance of their proposal for a ceasefire agreement.”

Also Read: Senior Hamas leader reveals details of ceasefire proposal

“Israeli” officials, cited by Hebrew media, said that the terms Hamas accepted are those that “Israel” agreed to in the round of negotiations

According to those officials, the ceasefire proposal given to Hamas is made unilaterally by Egypt and is not being taken seriously in Tel Aviv before the details are clarified.

The proposal Hamas has accepted is a “softened” version of an Egyptian proposal, which includes “far-reaching” conclusions that “Israel” cannot accept - said one official to Reuters.

A senior Hamas official said that “Israel” must decide whether it accepts or "obstructs" a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the ground announced it had accepted.

"After Hamas agreed to the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations.

An AFP correspondent reported that crowds started cheering and firing in the air in the streets of Rafah after the announcement by Hamas.

People were crying tears of happiness, chanting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") and shooting in the air in celebration of the news, the correspondent said.

*Stay informed with our carefully curated content delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and in-depth analysis. Click here to subscribe.