JERUSALEM - An Israeli delegation left for Qatar on July 6 for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to

head to Washington

Public pressure is mounting on Mr Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire and end the war in Gaza, a move

opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition

Palestinian group Hamas said on July 4 it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a "positive spirit", a few days after Mr Trump said Israel had agreed "to the necessary conditions to finalise" a 60-day truce.

But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.

Mr Netanyahu's office also said in a statement that changes sought by Hamas to the ceasefire proposal were "not acceptable to Israel". However, his office said the delegation would still fly to Qatar to "continue efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to".

Mr Netanyahu, who is due to meet Mr Trump on July 7, has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a demand the militant group has so far refused to discuss.

On July 5, crowds gathered at a public square in Tel Aviv near the defence ministry headquarters to call for a ceasefire ...