US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded meetings with Israeli officials on Wednesday by urging the government to consider alternative ways to deal with Hamas rather than a major offensive into Rafah, the southern city of Gaza where some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge.
A response from Hamas over the current ceasefire proposal is expected over the coming 24 to 48 hours, officials said, while the group maintained that a deal must include a permanent end to the fighting - an issue which has stalled talks for months.
Israel remains determined to push ahead with its vast ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
"Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done," Blinken told reporters on Wednesday. "If Hamas actually purports to care about the Palestinian people and wants to see an immediate alleviation of their suffering, it should take this deal."
Hamas is considering a plan for a 40-day ceasefire and the exchange of scores of hostages for larger numbers of Palestinian prisoners.
While ceasefire talks have been ongoing, the Israeli military has been preparing to open up an offensive in its northern frontier with Lebanon's Hezbollah, the army chief of staff said on Wednesday. The two parties have been engaged in attacks since October.