Hamas Reviews US Truce Proposal as Israel Intensifies Military Strikes

US 'bridge' plan aims to extend ceasefire; six Palestinian kids killed in air strikes

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CAIRO/DUBAI - Hamas said on March 21 it was reviewing a US proposal to restore the Gaza ceasefire as Israel intensified a military onslaught to press the Palestinian militant group to free remaining Israeli hostages.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff's "bridge" plan, presented last week, aims to extend the ceasefire into April, beyond the holidays of Ramadan and Passover, to allow time for negotiations on a permanent cessation of hostilities.

Three days after Israel effectively abandoned the two-month-old truce, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military was intensifying its air, land and sea strikes and would move civilians to the southern part of Gaza.

Mr Katz said Israel would continue its campaign until Hamas released more hostages and was totally defeated. Israeli air strikes inflicted serious damage on Hamas this week, killing its Gaza government chief and other top officials.

But Palestinian and Israeli sources say Hamas has shown it can absorb major losses and still fight and govern.

Hamas said it was still debating Mr Witkoff's proposal and other ideas, with the goal of reaching a deal on prisoner releases, ending the war and securing a complete Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.