US and Arab negotiators have put forward a proposal for a mini ceasefire in Gaza in a bid to buy time for a more substantial pause in fighting, it has been reported, as negotiations stall.

A short pause in fighting could last only a few days, according to the Wall Street Journal, as a way for both Israel and Hamas to prove that they are serious about agreeing to a longer deal.

Negotiators from Hamas, Qatar and Egypt - but not Israel - are in Cairo trying to secure a 40-day ceasefire in time for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins early next week.

Hamas said on Wednesday that it would continue working towards achieving a ceasefire in Gaza with Israel despite the absence of Israeli negotiators from the latest round of talks. Israel says it pulled out because Hamas refused to supply a list of hostages still alive in Gaza.

“We are showing the required flexibility in order to reach a comprehensive cessation of aggression against our people, but the occupation is still evading the entitlements of this agreement,” Hamas said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that Hamas had been given a “rational offer” and that the deal is “in the hands of Hamas right now.”

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