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move with majority vote on Tuesday evening, dismissing a call for a referendum on the issue by the largest opposition party.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday, “We are waiting for a response from Hamas” through the Qatari mediators, referring to a ceasefire proposal that US President Joe Biden revealed on Friday.

Qatar said on Tuesday that the proposal was now much closer to the positions of both sides.

Hamas has said it views the contents of the plan positively and has criticised Washington for what it described as attempts to blame the Palestinian group for hampering it.

But a spokesman for Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, reiterated on Tuesday it could not agree to any deal unless Israel makes a “clear” commitment to a permanent truce and complete withdrawal from Gaza. Israel says it cannot do that until Hamas is wiped out.

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) issued a new plea for a ceasefire yesterday on X.

“The war in #Gaza has upended millions of Palestinian lives & caused catastrophic damage to the natural environment that they depend upon for water, clean air, food & livelihoods. Restoring environmental services will take decades - & cannot even start until a #ceasefire,” it said.