Israel brought its delegation home from Gaza ceasefire talks for consultations on Thursday after Hamas delivered a new response to a proposal for a truce and hostages deal.

A senior Hamas source told Reuters on Thursday that there was still a chance of reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement but it would take a few days because of what he called Israeli stalling. The source said Hamas' response to the latest ceasefire proposal included requesting a clause that would prevent Israel from resuming the war if an agreement was not reached within the 60-day truce period.

President Trump’s special envoy said that “we will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home,” though it was not clear that negotiations had halted.

Amichay Eliyahu’s comments came amid growing hunger in the territory, where Israel controls the delivery of food.

More than 100 charity and human rights groups say Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation. Israeli strikes meanwhile killed another 21 people overnight and into Wednesday,

Scores of aid groups say the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worse than ever and that starvation is spreading, with Israel blaming the situation on Hamas.