Agencies – Hamas on Saturday said it was seeking amendments to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza, but U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff rejected the group’s response as “totally unacceptable.”
The proposal, backed by the U.S., includes a 60-day pause in fighting, the release of 28 of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, the exchange of more than 1,200 Palestinian prisoners, and an increase in humanitarian aid to the enclave.
Health authorities in Gaza said on Saturday that 54,381 people have been killed and 124,054 injured since Israel’s military campaign began on October 7, 2023. Since the resumption of hostilities on March 18, the authorities have reported 4,117 deaths and 12,013 injuries.
‘Biased’
Hamas is demanding the release of hostages in three phases over the 60-day truce, wider aid access across Gaza, and guarantees that the deal would lead to a permanent ceasefire. Israel has rejected these conditions, insisting on Hamas’ disarmament, removal from power and the unconditional release of all remaining hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while his government had agreed to Witkoff’s outline, Hamas was continuing its rejection of the plan. “Israel will continue its action for the return of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” he said in a statement.
Saying he had received Hamas’ response, Witkoff wrote in a post on X: “It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward. Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks.”
Shortly after Witkoff’s comments, senior Hamas official Basem Naim rejected claims that the group had turned down the proposal, saying Israel’s version of the deal deviated from what had been discussed. He also accused Witkoff of “complete bias” in favor of Israel.
A separate Hamas statement said the group called for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released “in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.”
Israel’s state-owned Kan television reported that the military is expected to intensify operations in northern Gaza in response to Hamas’ position. On Friday, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas to accept the deal “or be destroyed.”
Israel’s military on Saturday also confirmed the killing of Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander and head of the group’s military wing in Gaza, in an airstrike earlier this month.
