The Hamas group said Thursday that it will not accept the new ceasefire and hostage release proposal put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff without some changes
According to sources close to the group, the proposal favors Israel more than previous versions, and Hamas feels it has been misled by the US administration because the deal does not guarantee a definitive end to the war in Gaza.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Hamas believes the proposal is too pro-Israel and does not offer clear guarantees that the temporary 60-day ceasefire will become permanent.
In addition, the proposal requires that all hostages be released within a week, which would leave Hamas with no negotiating leverage, the source said.
The group also complains that the plan does not guarantee that Israel will not unilaterally break the ceasefire, as it did in March.
Witkoff’s proposal includes the release of 10 live hostages and the bodies of 18 people, in two stages.
In exchange, 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment and 1,111 detained after October 7 would be released, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
During the 60-day ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw from some areas of Gaza, and the UN would be responsible for distributing humanitarian aid.
On the other hand, reports in newspapers such as Al-Hadath have suggested that Hamas and Israel may be close to agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire, with US President Donald Trump set to announce the details.
However, both Israel and Hamas have denied these reports.
An Israeli official said Israel was not aware of any agreement between Hamas and Witkoff’s proposal, and White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that only Israel had accepted the plan so far.
Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV also denied that the group had accepted the offer, saying it was still reviewing the document.
A Hamas leader, Basem Naim, said the proposal did not meet the group’s demands and that the leadership was carefully considering its response.
Another Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, said he would hold a news conference at 9:30 p.m.
to discuss the matter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly informed the families of the Israeli hostages that the country had accepted Witkoff’s proposal, but made it clear that it did not mean an end to the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu also met with ministers on Thursday to discuss the plan.
The proposed document reportedly includes assurances from President Trump that the ceasefire would last for 60 days, with the possibility of extension.
Half of the hostages and bodies would be released on the first day, and the other half on the seventh day.
Humanitarian aid would begin arriving in Gaza as soon as Hamas accepted the deal, with the UN and the Red Crescent coordinating distribution.
Negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would begin on the first day, and Hamas would be required to provide full information on the remaining hostages by the tenth day.
American sources indicated optimism, saying that an agreement could be reached within days if both sides compromised on some points.
During the ceasefire, humanitarian aid would enter Gaza by various means, and all Israeli military activity would be monitored from the start of the deal.
Published in 05/30/2025 00h47
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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