Netanyahu says he hopes to announce hostage release in the 'coming days'

Hamas will disarm "the easy way or the hard way", Israel's PM says after the group gave its response to a peace plan.

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In a televised statement, he also said "Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised – either the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved".

The comments came after Hamas released a statement on Friday in which it agreed to free the hostages under a US peace plan, but did not mention disarmament and sought negotiations on other issues.

Hamas said on Saturday that Israel was continuing to commit "massacres", after strikes hit Gaza in the morning, and it urged global pressure on Israel.

Indirect ceasefire talks between the parties are set to start in Egypt on Monday.