Hamas is seeking guarantees that a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza would lead to the war’s end, a source close to the militant group said, as medics said Israeli strikes across the territory had killed scores more people.

Israeli officials said prospects for reaching a ceasefire deal and hostage deal appeared high, nearly 21 months since Israel’s onslaught on Gaza began.

On the ground, intensified Israeli strikes across Gaza continued unabated, killing at least 59 people, according to health authorities in the territory.

A separate source familiar with the matter said that Israel was expecting Hamas’ response by Friday and that if it was positive, an Israeli delegation would join indirect talks to cement the deal. It was unclear whether those would be held in Egypt or Qatar, the two countries that have been mediating talks.

The proposal includes the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, sources say. Of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 are believed to still be alive.

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