Hamas on Wednesday said its "positive" response to a U.S. cease-fire plan for the 8-month-old war in the Gaza Strip opened a "wide pathway" to an agreement, as Israel called the response tantamount to a rejection.
The outlook for the cease-fire deal remains uncertain as neither the Palestinian group nor Israel have publicly committed to a deal.
Hamas submitted its formal response on Tuesday to a proposal U.S. President Joe Biden outlined on May 31.