(NewsNation) — Hamas said it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza Saturday as the threat of a ground invasion into Rafah looms.

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya gave no details of Israel’s offer, but said it was in response to a Hamas proposal two weeks ago. Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week cease-fire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Former Israeli security service coordinator Gonen Ben Itzhak joined NewsNation’s “Morning in America” to discuss the importance of the potential deal, saying an invasion into Rafah would be devastating for Palestinians.

“I think it shows that Hamas, first of all, is afraid of any development that will lead Israel to enter Rafah. I need to emphasize that Israel moved more than 1 million citizens of the Gaza Strip into Rafah, so if Israel would enter Rafah, this could lead to civil disaster among Palestinians,” Itzhak said.

A separate Hamas statement said leaders from the three main militant groups active in Gaza discussed attempts to end the war, without mentioning the Israeli proposal. This came hours after an Egyptian delegation ended a visit to Israel where it discussed a “new vision” for a prolonged cease-fire in Gaza, an Egyptian official told the Associated Press.

The discussions between Egyptian and Israeli officials focused on the first stage of a plan that would include a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners. Itzhak says getting the hostages back should be the top priority for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I’m ashamed to be an Israeli and to understand that these people are more than 200 days in the hands of Hamas. Netanyahu can bring them home now, the only thing he needs to say is that we’ll stop the war,” Itzhak said.

“The only reason why Netanyahu can’t say out loud, “We are going to stop the war” is because politically, he’s afraid of his partners in the government. He’s afraid to lose his government. This is the only reason why 133 people are still held by Hamas. And I think this is a big shame for us in Israel as Israelis and patriots,” he added.

There is growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach a cease-fire deal and avert an Israeli attack on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have sought refuge.

Israel has insisted for months it plans a ground offensive into Rafah, on the border with Egypt, where it says many remaining Hamas militants remain, despite calls for restraint including from Israel’s staunchest ally, the U.S.