The Latest | Hamas says it agreed to a Gaza cease-fire deal, no comment yet from Israel
The Hamas militant group says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel. It issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister. There was no immediate comment from Israel. The announcement came hours after Israel’s military said it ordered some 100,000 people to evacuate the southern Gaza city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials.