Families of hostages held in Gaza are stepping up their campaign to secure their release by holding a strike across Israel.

Hamas says it has agreed to a new Gaza ceasefire proposal as mediators from Qatar and Egypt push to renew talks ahead of a major Israeli assault on Gaza City.

Protesters in Israel escalated their ongoing campaign on Sunday to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Hamas has agreed to a deal to pause the militant group’s war with Israel in Gaza, according to two officials with knowledge of the situation, fueling optimism that a long-awaited breakthrough in negotiations could be close.

Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior member from the group said Monday, after a fresh diplomatic push to end more than 22 months of war.

Israel has announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City, with a view to eventually staging a full security takeover of Gaza, putting Hamas under pressure to reach a ceasefire deal.

On Sunday, relatives and friends of hostages taken by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, on October 7, 2023, called a nationwide strike. Around 25 hostages are believed be alive in Gaza. The protests took place across Israel, some outside of politician's homes, military bases, and highways.

Hamas' meetings with Egyptian officials will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and "end the suffering of our people in Gaza," Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement.