Israel has proposed a two-month pause in fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages being held in the territory, US media has reported.

Officials have offered the deal to Hamas through mediators in Qatar and Egypt, the political website Axios reported, citing top Israeli officials. It would not include any agreement to end the war.

More than 130 hostages are thought to still be held by the militant group and its affiliates, although several dozen are thought to have died since they were seized in the terror attack on Oct 7.

Washington has been heavily involved in negotiations towards a deal to secure the release of hostages, with Joe Biden’s senior Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, travelling to Egypt on Sunday.

He was due to continue to Qatar, a key intermediary between Israel and Hamas.

US officials told Axios that reaching such an agreement might be the only viable path to a ceasefire in Gaza. Mr Biden has faced growing pressure from within his party to demand an end to the fighting.

Israeli officials are understood to be awaiting a response from Hamas, but are “cautiously optimistic”, according to Axios.

Meanwhile, the European Union intends to press ahead with peace talks to end the war in Gaza without the involvement of Israel, according to an internal document.

A 12-point peace plan drawn up by the Brussels foreign affairs arm states that it is “unrealistic to assume that Israelis and Palestinians will shortly directly engage in bilateral peace negotiations”.

Instead, the bloc proposed parallel talks with the US, United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States, while threatening “consequences” against Israel if it refuses to engage.

“Palestinians will need a revitalised political alternative to Hamas, while Israelis will need to find the political will to engage in meaningful negotiations towards the two-state solution,” the document, circulated to European capitals and seen by the Telegraph, says.