Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is sending a team to Qatar for talks on a truce and hostage release in Gaza, after Hamas said it was ready to start negotiations “immediately”, AFP reports.

But Netanyahu has said that the Palestinian group’s proposals for changes to a draft US-backed ceasefire deal were “unacceptable”.

“The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

“In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages — on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to — be continued,” the statement added.