Israel rejected the proposed ceasefire plan and refused to sign any agreement with Hamas unless it is given the right to hunt down the crisscrossing tunnel system that it said the militans will use to launch attacks within the country.

According to an anonymous source, the security cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned the proposed ceasefire down because of the tunnel structures that could put Israel's security in jeopardy.

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The official who declined  to be named said that the ceasefire proposal of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry leans too much to Hamas' favor.

The international proposal Kerry worked out with Egypt remains undisclosed to the public.

"We are working towards a seven days of humanitarian ceasefire in honor of Eid (end of the Ramadan next week) and to bring people together for a more durable solution to the crisis," Kerry told Reuters in an interview.

The Palestinian group wants an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza, before they can agree to a halt in shooting rockets against Israeli cities.

Kerry told reporters in Cairo that even if Israel might reject "some language" in the proposal, it was yet just a draft for that will later on be finalized. He said he has not submitted any final proposal that would allow Israel to vote for or against it.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also speaking from Egypt, supports a seven-day humanitarian truce.

"This could start with an extendable 12-hour stop to the hostilities," Ban said.

According to a U.S. official, Netanyahu told Kerry that Israel would begin a 12-hour pause in the fighting on Saturday at 7 a.m.

Meanwhile the fighting rages on. Gaza officials said Israeli strikes killed 55 people on Friday. Among those who died were the head of Hamas's media operations and his son. Officials said the total number of deaths during the past 18 days has reached 844.

From the Gaza Strip, militants keep firing rockets toward Israel. So far, there were no reported injuries.

Reports said the peace talks will proceed on Saturday in Paris.

TagsCeasefire in Gaza, Israel-Hamas conflict, ceasefire agreement, Israel vs. Hamas