Hamas has announced it has accepted a ceasefire proposal for Gaza brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

       Further details on the agreement's terms and implementation are expected to follow.

       Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh has informed Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister about the acceptance of the ceasefire proposal.

       The announcement follows months of mediation by Egypt and Qatar between Israel and Hamas.

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       While the specific terms of the proposal have not been disclosed, it is expected to involve a multi-stage process, including the release of hostages and Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

       It comes as the Israeli army ordered about 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah in Gaza, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a ceasefire.

       Israel’s closest allies, including the United States, have repeatedly said that Israel shouldn't attack Rafah. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.

       Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will worsen Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that in nearly seven months has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

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       US President Joe Biden spoke Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated U.S. concerns about an invasion of Rafah. Biden said that a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said on condition of anonymity to discuss the call before an official White House statement was released.

       Hamas and key mediator Qatar said that invading Rafah will derail efforts by international mediators to broker a cease-fire. Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a US-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a pullout of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

       Netanyahu said Monday that seizing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, was vital to ensuring the militants can't rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.