CAIRO - The Hamas leadership has said it has accepted the terms of a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

In a statement the group says it has informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators of its decision.

The details are yet to be announced with how long it will last and what this means for hostages being held in Gaza yet to be stablished.

Hamas official says the “ball is now in Israel's court” after the group has indicated it would accept the terms of a ceasefire plan.

However, an Israeli official said Hamas approved a 'softened' Egyptian proposal that was not acceptable to Israel, according to Reuters.

In a statement published on its official website, Hamas says it's leader Ismail Haniyeh conducted a telephone call with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian intelligence minister, Abbas Kamel, and informed them of Hamas's approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement.

Images have emerged of people cheering outside Al Aqsa hospital in Central Gaza after the Hamas statement.

Officially Israel is still planning for a ground invasion of Rafah.

The Israeli army has told Palestinians to begin evacuating eastern Rafah in anticipation of a planned ground invasion.

Military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said that “around 100,000 people” are being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi in preparation for the expected assault.

The evacuation “is part of our plans to dismantle Hamas...we had a violent reminder of their presence and their operational abilities in Rafah yesterday,” the military spokesman said on Monday.