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Hamas has announced that it has accepted a new Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt. But Israeli officials and analysts remain deeply sceptical about whether the move signals genuine progress or another attempt to delay an Israeli assault on Gaza City.

Hamas confirmed it had accepted the mediators' latest plan."The movement has accepted the new proposal from the mediators,:" said Basem Naim, a senior member of its political bureau, on social media. "We pray that God extinguishes the fires of this war on our people."

Israeli officials said they had received the Hamas response but stressed that their position had not shifted. Israel's demands remain the release of all hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, and continued Israeli security control of Gaza.

The proposal is closely based on the framework discussed before negotiations collapsed in July.

A senior Hamas official said it would involve the release of 10 living hostages and the return of 18 bodies in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners. The list includes 140 serving life sentences and 60 with terms of more than 15 years, along with all Palestinian women and minors in Israeli custody.

The plan is seen as a last-ditch attempt by mediators to prevent a wider Israeli operation.

The coming days are expected to be crucial, with Israel likely to consult closely with Egypt before issuing its formal response.

Israel's security cabinet recently voted to escalate the war and occupy Gaza City, a move expected to worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

Yet Israeli experts warn that Hamas may be trying to buy time.

Professor Kobi Michael, senior researcher at the INSS think tank in Tel Aviv and a former deputy director general at the Ministry for Strategic Affairs, said the group faced existential pressure.

"It looks that Hamas will do almost everything in order to delay or even to prevent the Israeli intention to occupy Gaza because they understand that once Gaza will be [occupied], then this is the very end of Hamas without saving any assets or achievements," he said.

Professor Michael, who formerly headed Israel's Palestine desk, suggested Hamas could use its apparent acceptance as a negotiating tactic.

"I wouldn't deny an option that what Hamas does is to say yes, begin the negotiation and then to prolong the negotiation for a very long period of time, hoping that at the end of the day Israel will be pushed under international pressure and maybe American pressure. They are looking very carefully at the Israeli society as well."

He argued that any concessions that left Hamas intact would undermine the prospects of stable governance in Gaza.

"Although they said that they are willing and ready to give up on the civilian governance, as long as they refuse to dismantle themselves, to disarm themselves, it is pretty clear that they will dictate the agenda and reconstitute themselves. This is something that Israel cannot tolerate."

The conflict remains a zero-sum contest, he said, adding: "Any achievement for Hamas is a loss for Israel and vice versa. Israel must be very determined. Israel cannot enable Hamas to remain there as an organised military entity."

Israel enjoys rare alignment with the wider region on the core demand that Hamas be disarmed.

"The Arab world and the international community as a whole agrees with the Israeli demands with regard to the idea of disarming Hamas, demilitarising the Gaza Strip and the idea that Hamas will not be integrated in any framework of the day after. So in this regard, Israel is not alone," he said.

Yet there was no external actor willing or able to enforce disarmament.

"I do not believe that there is any entity from edge to edge which is willing and capable to enter the Gaza Strip and to disarm Hamas," he said.

"The only entity in the entire globe that is willing and capable is the IDF. Therefore, I am very sceptical that something will come out before Israel dismantles Hamas."

Once Hamas was removed as a military organisation, new political initiatives could take shape.

"After eliminating Hamas as an organised entity, I believe that many options will be opened, including the Egyptian Arab initiative," he said.

"But as long as Hamas is there, nothing will come out of that."