Hamas on Saturday said that it is calling for modifications to a US-supported ceasefire proposal which is meant to bring the ongoing hostilities in Gaza to an end. But former US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, rejected the group’s reaction as “totally unacceptable.”
Hamas said it would free 10 surviving hostages and the remains of 18 who had been killed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, along with a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal terms Israel has time and again refused. Even though Hamas has described its reply as “positive,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the organization was hampering progress. “Israel will keep working to bring our hostages home and dismantle Hamas,” he stated.
Hamas’s proposed deal, supported by Trump and mediators Egypt and Qatar, entails a 60-day ceasefire under which 28 of the 58 remaining hostages would be released in exchange for more than 1,200 Palestinian prisoners. The deal also calls for unfettered humanitarian assistance and the reopening of Gaza’s basic infrastructure.
Witkoff strongly condemned Hamas terms, saying on X that the reaction “only takes us backward.” Israeli forces meanwhile continue to bombard Gaza. On Saturday, the military confirmed that Mohammad Sinwar, a Hamas commander and brother of Yahya Sinwar, was killed in a targeted strike.
The situation in Gaza remains to worsen as Israel maintains its blockade. The World Food Programme cited massive hunger as armed groups looted aid convoys. The UN alerted that Gaza is experiencing unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with close to all of its 2 million inhabitants facing famine.
Despite limited aid deliveries and a US-backed humanitarian distribution system, many international aid agencies remain critical, saying current efforts fall drastically short. Israel, meanwhile, maintains that it facilitates aid but blames Hamas for obstructing distribution by seizing supplies.
Negotiations continue as the conflict enters its 19th month.
