Friday, May 30, 2025 - A senior Hamas official has said the Palestinian armed group will reject the latest US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The White House stated that Israel had approved the plan presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff and was awaiting a formal response from Hamas.
Reports from Israeli media indicated that the deal would
involve Hamas handing over 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others in
two phases, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian
prisoners. However, the Hamas official said the proposal did not meet key
demands, such as a complete end to the war, and noted that Hamas would issue a
formal response in due time.
While the Israeli government has not publicly commented,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told families of hostages that he
supported Witkoff’s proposal. Israel had imposed a total blockade on Gaza, and
resumed military operations against Hamas in March after the collapse of a
two-month ceasefire facilitated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt. The renewed
offensive was intended to pressure Hamas to release the remaining 58 hostages,
of whom at least 20 are believed to be alive.
In mid-May, the Israeli military expanded its offensive,
with Netanyahu stating that troops would “take control of all areas” of Gaza.
He later announced a partial easing of the blockade, allowing a basic level of
food into the territory to stave off famine.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, nearly 4,000
people have been killed in the territory in the past 10 weeks. The UN estimates
another 600,000 people have been displaced again due to ongoing operations and
evacuation orders, and a UN-backed report warns that about 500,000 face
catastrophic hunger in the months ahead.
At a news conference in Washington, the White House
confirmed that Israel had signed off on the ceasefire plan submitted to Hamas.
Discussions with mediators are ongoing, and the US hopes for a ceasefire that
will allow the return of all hostages.
However, a Hamas official told the BBC that the current
offer diverged from previous discussions. The group said the proposal lacked
guarantees for a transition from a temporary truce to a permanent ceasefire and
did not restore the humanitarian provisions that previously allowed hundreds of
aid trucks into Gaza daily. Still, Hamas confirmed it remained in contact with
mediators and would deliver its written response in due course.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu told hostages’ families, “We agree to accept the latest Witkoff plan that was conveyed to us tonight. Hamas has not yet responded. We do not believe Hamas will release the last hostage, and we will not leave the Strip until all the hostages are in our hands.”
His office later issued a statement accusing a reporter of
attempting to bring a recording device into the meeting, but did not deny his
support for the US proposal.
Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel will not end the war
until all hostages are released, Hamas is disarmed or destroyed, and its
leaders are exiled. Hamas, in turn, has said it is willing to release all
captives in exchange for a total end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal
from Gaza.
The war began after Hamas launched a cross-border attack on
7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. An
additional four hostages had been held in Gaza prior to the attack. To date,
Israel has secured the return of 197 hostages, 148 of them alive, mainly
through two temporary ceasefire deals.
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