The statement added that Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh had affirmed the group's "positive spirit in studying the ceasefire proposal" in a phone call with Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

Hamas said on Saturday that it had received Israel's latest position and would study it before submitting a reply.

The Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News quoted an unidentified high-level Egyptian source as saying that the Hamas delegation would arrive in Cairo in the next two days.

--Reuters--