Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire with Israel, which includes returning half of the hostages held in Gaza and the release of some Palestinian prisoners by Israel, an Egyptian official said on Monday.

Hamas confirmed this on Facebook, and other Palestinian groups also agreed to the plan.

The deal, mediated by Egypt and Qatar with support from the U.S., aims to stop fighting for two months and offers a path to end the long conflict. Israel has received the proposal but has not responded yet.

Many Palestinians are escaping their homes to avoid the fighting as Israeli forces move closer to Gaza city.

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Protests in Israel are demanding an agreement to release the remaining hostages.

As military leaders get ready for fierce combat in Gaza City, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Hamas is under tremendous pressure.

With over 50 hostages held in Gaza and thousands of Palestinians killed, the conflict has claimed many lives on both sides.

Disagreements over Israeli troop withdrawal and aid delivery in Gaza, where many people face food shortages, are among the difficulties facing the ceasefire negotiations.

This proposed ceasefire is a major step towards reducing violence between Hamas and Israel.

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If successful, it might provide a short time of peace and enable the suffering Gazans to receive humanitarian aid.

However, there are a number of obstacles to the agreement, such as Israel s military intentions and both parties  political demands.

Whether this agreement can hold and result in longer-term peace efforts will be determined in the next few days.