Hamas terrorists claim Gaza ceasefire is possible ‘within 24 hours’ if Israel accepts its demands – as negotiators ‘meet in bid to thrash out truce’

Hamas has said a ceasefire in Gaza is possible “within 24 to 48 hours” if Israel accepts its demands.

A delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’s deputy leader in Gaza, has arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks, a senior official of the group said.

Hopes for a new ceasefire are growing after a US government official said last night that Israel has “more or less accepted” a deal.

“There will be a six-week ceasefire in Gaza from today if Hamas agrees to release the defined category of vulnerable hostages, the sick, wounded, elderly and women,” the official in Washington said.

It comes as Israeli operations have intensified in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, destroying dozens of Hamas targets in a blitz of air and artillery strikes.

Palestinian children walk past the rubble of the al-Bukhari Mosque in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on March 2

Smoke rises during an Israeli ground operation in Khan Younis on February 29

Israeli air force and artillery struck about 50 targets within six minutes, the report said, in an effort to “intensify operational performance in the area.”

“During the attacks, forces destroyed terrorist infrastructure and eliminated Hamas terrorists operating from civilian facilities in urban areas,” the report said.

Residents in the area said they were surprised by the rapid advance of Israeli tanks, which led to new fighting with Palestinian gunmen.

In one housing project, some families reported on social media that they could not leave their homes while the tanks were on the streets.

The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said it attacked two tanks with rockets and blew up a building where soldiers had entered.

Khan Younis has been at the center of Israel’s military offensive in recent weeks.