Hamas decided not to respond or engage with Israel's counter-proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, an official told Reuters on Wednesday, affirming it is committed to the mediators' plan instead.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the pressure on Gaza would increase until the remaining hostages were returned to Israel. “The more they do not give (back the hostages), the more the pressure will increase until they do,” vowed the Israeli Prime Minster in a video statement released on Wednesday.

A Palestinian protester opposed to Hamas' rule over the Gaza Strip was beaten and tortured to death following a demonstration last week, according to reports.

The Israeli military on Thursday claimed 12 senior members of Hamas had been killed since Israeli troops resumed fighting in Gaza.

Hamas ceasefire. They warn renewed bombing in Gaza jeopardizes the lives of the 24 remaining captives, who are believed to be alive.

Hamas’s grip on the enclave appears more fragile than ever, as Palestinian protesters gather in the streets in a rare display of defiance against the militant group.

Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group's chief said on Saturday.

Palestinians took part in the largest anti-Hamas protests in Gaza since the war with Israel began. It's a rare show of discontent by the citizens of the war-torn territory.