Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed his intention to go ahead with a ground offensive in Rafah even if a hostage deal is reached. The southern Gaza city is now hosting nearly 1.5 million Palestinians.

Israeli and other media outlets have reported that Israel and mediators agreed on a proposal for a roughly six-week pause in fighting in exchange for the release of around 40 hostages taken by Hamas.

In an interview with CBS News aired on Sunday, Netanyahu said he cannot tell if a hostage deal will be made.

He said a ground offensive will be delayed somewhat if a deal is reached, adding that it will happen anyway if there is no deal.

He said total victory is not months away, but weeks away once the operation begins.

He emphasized the importance of achieving the war goal of destroying Hamas by eliminating the last remaining Hamas battalions that he claimed to be concentrated in Rafah.

The international community is expressing strong concerns about the Rafah offensive as it is mostly likely to produce more casualties among civilians, many of them children.

Some Israeli citizens are becoming increasingly disgruntled about slow progress in securing the release of hostages and are calling for negotiations with Hamas. Protesters clashed with police during a massive rally on Saturday in Tel Aviv, Israel's largest commercial city.