Axios claimed that two Israeli officials told the site that a new Israeli proposal for a possible hostage deal with Hamas includes a willingness to discuss “restoring sustainable calm” in Gaza after the hostages were released for the first time on humanitarian grounds.

The website says: "This is the first time since the attack launched by Hamas on Israel last October 7, that Israeli leaders have indicated that they are open to discussing ending the war in Gaza as part of the hostage deal."

Ending the war was central to Hamas's proposals during the hostage deal negotiations in recent months.

A delegation of Egyptian intelligence officials arrived in Israel last Friday and held talks with representatives of the Shin Bet, the Israeli occupation army, and the Mossad about the detainees’ deal and the possible invasion of the besieged city of Rafah, which is crowded with about 1.4 million citizens, most of whom were displaced from different places in the devastated Strip, according to the instructions of the occupation army.

Israeli officials said that at the end of the talks between the Israeli negotiating team and Egyptian intelligence officials, the Egyptians presented Hamas with a new proposal that included Israel’s willingness to make more important concessions, according to the site.

Hamas said in a statement on Friday evening that it had received the new proposal and would study it and respond to it.

Israeli officials said, according to the website, “The new proposal was drafted jointly by the Egyptian intelligence delegation and the Israeli negotiating team, taking into account the positions put forward by Hamas so far and what Israel and Egypt believe the movement may agree to in the deal.”

The new proposal includes a response to many of Hamas's demands, such as readiness for the full return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the corridor that divides the Strip and prevents freedom of movement, according to officials.

“The proposal also includes readiness to discuss the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire as part of the implementation of the second phase of the deal, which will take place after the hostages are released for humanitarian reasons,” according to the website.

An Israeli official told the site: “We hope that what we have proposed will be enough to bring Hamas into serious negotiations. We hope that Hamas sees that we are serious about reaching an agreement - and we are serious.”

"They must understand that it is possible that if the first stage is implemented, it will be possible to advance to the next stages and reach the end of the war," he added.

The Israeli official indicated that Israel believes that Hamas considers the threat of an Israeli invasion of Rafah a real threat, and that this may help the two sides reach an agreement. He added that Israel is serious about the operation in Rafah.

Talks to exchange Israeli detainees between Israel and Hamas reached a dead end a few weeks ago, with large gaps between the two parties. In recent days, the Israeli war government decided to change its position regarding the number of hostages that Israel demands Hamas release as part of the deal.

The proposal on the table included the release of 40 hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the release of about 900 Palestinian prisoners.

The 40 hostages included women, female soldiers, men over the age of 50, and male hostages in poor medical condition who will be released on humanitarian grounds.

“But Hamas claimed in recent weeks that there are only about 20 hostages who meet these humanitarian standards,” according to the website.

Israeli officials said, "The Israeli Defense Cabinet allowed the Israeli negotiating team for the first time this week to discuss the release of less than 40 hostages."

The number of days of the ceasefire will be linked to the number of hostages to be released - one day for each hostage.

Israel expects to receive a response from Hamas in the next few days, and officials said they hope this will lead to the opening of intensive negotiations on the details, especially the number of hostages who will be released in the humanitarian and transitional phase. The number of Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange, according to the website.