Hamas is mulling agreeing to a phased truce that would only extend to the West Bank in a second stage in return for an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza, a Hamas official told AFP on Thursday.

"Hamas is leaning towards the idea of a truce that begins in the Gaza Strip and is then extended to the West Bank in a second stage, on condition that the enemy cease its aggression and reopen the (Gaza) border crossings, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt," Ghazi Hamad said.

"Today, a Hamas delegation gave its response and point of view (on a truce) to our Egyptian brothers," he added.

The delegation led by Mahmud Zahar, one of a number of Hamas leaders who met former US president Jimmy Carter in Damascus last week, was in Cairo to discuss a possible truce with Israel.

Egypt has been serving as go-between in the negotiations with Israel, which blacklists Hamas as a terror group and refuses any direct contacts.

Israel has sealed off Gaza to all but very limited humanitarian aid since the Islamist group seized control of the territory from forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in June.

Hamas leaders prefer to use the expression "period of calm" rather than talk of a formal truce.

"Any period of calm between us and Israel must be reciprocal, simultaneous and comprehensive, and must include lifting the blockade and ceasing all aggression," another Hamas official, Ismail Radwan, told AFP.

"We are waiting for a response from the Zionist enemy through the Egyptians, which will be presented to other Palestinian factions. No calm will happen without their agreement," he said.

Israel's conditions for a truce include a halt to rocket attacks from Gaza and other Hamas "terrorism", and an end to what it says is rampant arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.

In the past Israel has rejected a truce covering all of the Palestinian territories, saying that its operations in the occupied West Bank are essential to prevent militants from launching attacks inside the Jewish state.

AFP