TEL AVIV, June 12. /TASS/. Israel believes that Hamas essentially rejected US President Joe Biden's plan for a Gaza ceasefire, as the group responded by making changes to all the provisions of the original proposal, the Ynet news portal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

"The meaning is clear: It is a rejection of Biden's proposal," the website quoted one of the sources as saying.

According to Ynet, Qatari mediators briefed Mossad Director David Barnea on the Hamas’ response on evening of June 11.

Ynet reported, citing an unidentified Israeli official, that Hamas made "significant changes" to the proposal, although Biden had warned that the group should accept the document in its original form.

Earlier, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Washington received and is studying Hamas' response to the Gaza ceasefire proposal.

Ynet said, citing no sources, that Israel is going to reject the group’s response to the deal proposal.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, accompanied by killings of residents of Israeli settlements near the border and taking more than 200 hostages, including children, women and elderly people. Hamas cast the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started striking the enclave and parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.