Hamas agrees to new Gaza truce proposal

• Thousands flee their homes in eastern Gaza City
• 19 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across the Strip
• Five Palestinians die from malnutrition in 24 hours

A Hamas source told AFP yesterday that the Palestinian group had agreed to a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, devastated by more than 22 months of war between the group and Israel.

"Hamas has delivered its response to the mediators, confirming that Hamas and the factions agreed to the new ceasefire proposal without requesting any amendments," the Hamas source told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza load their belongings onto a car before heading south, as the Israeli military prepares to relocate residents to the southern part of the enclave. Photo: AFP, Reuters

A Palestinian official earlier yesterday told AFP that mediators had proposed an initial 60-day truce and hostage release in two batches.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have intensified their attacks ahead of planned efforts to seize the territory, with at least 19 Palestinians killed since dawn yesterday.

Fearing the imminent Israeli ground offensive, thousands of Palestinians have left their homes in eastern areas of Gaza City, reports Reuters.

Hamas has slammed Israel's plan to seize the Palestinian city and forcibly displace its population, calling Israeli promises to provide shelter and humanitarian aid "blatant deception".

The health ministry in Gaza said five Palestinians have died due to malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including two children. This brings the total death toll from starvation and malnutrition since the offensive began to 263, including 112 children, reports Al Jazeera online.

Amnesty International said: Israel is "carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation" in Gaza and is "systematically destroying the health, wellbeing and social fabric of Palestinian life".

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, said its staff in Gaza are witnessing a surge in mass casualties linked to Israel's ongoing siege and its distribution of aid.

"The indiscriminate killings, and the counts of mass casualties we still [see] on a daily basis right now, hasn't stopped, but only increased in its scale," said Nour Alsaqqa of MSF.

She said one MSF facility in Rafah, located near an aid distribution centre, has been overwhelmed with wounded Palestinians, including children.

 "We are receiving baby injuries and killings from the distribution sites. People who are coming with gunshots, with different injuries, related to the distribution sites and they go only seeking food," she said.