Israel and Gaza peace talks are caught between U.S. pressure and escalating civilian deaths, the latest ceasefire proposal lays bare the fragility of diplomacy in a war shaped by mutual distrust, shifting red lines,

The U.S. government is awaiting a response from Hamas to a U.S. ceasefire proposal in Israel, which the Israeli government has already accepted.

The White House said Thursday that the U.S. has submitted a new Gaza ceasefire proposal that has Israeli support. Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer.

Hamas said it sought a permanent ceasefire and a withdrawal of the Israeli military, prompting a rebuke from Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy.

Qatar and Egypt announced on Sunday plans to step up efforts for Gaza truce negotiations, as the Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was prepared to "immediately" hold a fresh round of talks.

Steve Witkoff stated in Washington on Wednesday that he has "some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution — a temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution of that conflict," adding that a new U.S. proposal would soon be presented to both parties.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy expressed optimism about brokering an agreement to halt the Israel-Hamas war.

Hamas is seeking amendments to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior official with the group told The Associated Press on Saturday, but U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff called the Hamas response ''totally unacceptable.

The recent Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar have not led anywhere yet, the Qatari prime minister said Tuesday, citing a "fundamental gap" between the two parties.