A new ceasefire proposal could see a 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following positive comments from US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on Tuesday about progress in talks, amid harrowing scenes at aid distribution points in the enclave.
The 60-day ceasefire would see the release of 10 living Israeli captives and the bodies of 18 dead held by Hamas, according to The Times of Israel.
Although temporary, key wording in the agreement has been changed to ensure that negotiations on ending the war take place without making Israel commit to ending the war after the initial ceasefire, according to Axios.
A path towards a permanent end to the war on Gaza has been a consistent demand of Hamas.
At the White House on Wednesday, Steve Witkoff, the key negotiator for the ceasefire draft, said he has "very good feelings about getting to… a temporary ceasefire and a long-term, peaceful resolution of that conflict".
"We're on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet that hopefully will be delivered today," he added.
The deal has been slammed by some members of the far-right Israeli government with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich telling Israeli radio, "I object to giving a lifeline to Hamas."
Opposition MK Yair Lapid has called on the government to "publicly and immediately" accept the new ceasefire proposal and offered a "full safety net" for a deal if it is blocked by the far-right sections of Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Israeli strikes also killed journalist Moataz Raja, a cameraman and video editor for Al-Quds Today TV, with the Gaza Journalists Syndicate saying that at least 221 journalists have now been killed in the war.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza, exacerbated by Israel's forced changes to aid entry, pushed starving Palestinians to loot a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir el-Balah on Wednesday.
Two people were killed and several injured, according to the WFP, which said that "humanitarian needs have spiralled out of control after 80 days of complete blockade of all food assistance and other aid into Gaza".
The incident comes after the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) halted aid distribution on Tuesday following similar scenes.
On Wednesday, the GHF opened a second distribution site for aid in the enclave and on Thursday issued a denial that any deaths or violence occurred at its distribution sites.
A third distribution site is expected to open on Thursday, south of the Israeli-held Netzarim Corridor, according to Israel's Army Radio.
If successful, the US is expected to push other countries and international organisations to fund the GHF, according to a US official speaking to The Times of Israel.
As a trickle of humanitarian aid enters Gaza, the enclave's health ministry warned that 11,000 cancer patients are without adequate treatment and healthcare, with 64 percent of medication out of stock.
The ministry has said that 54,084 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of Israel's assault, with a further 123,308 wounded.