Palestinian group Hamas claims a current ceasefire proposal handed to them by United States particular envoy Steve Witkoff is completely different from one they’d agreed to every week earlier.
Basem Naim, a number one Hamas official, advised Al Jazeera on Saturday that the group “responded positively” to the newest proposal relayed by Witkoff, although it supplied “no ensures to finish the conflict”, in response to Naim.
Israel has killed greater than 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023, and its complete help blockade since March has brought about hunger and a famine-like state of affairs in Gaza, residence to 2.3 million individuals, most of whom have been displaced by 19 months of relentless bombardment.
Amid worldwide stress, Israel has allowed a trickle of help into Gaza, which has been described as a “drop in an ocean” by humanitarian teams.
Right here’s what it is advisable to know concerning the ceasefire proposal.
A lady holding a child cries as Palestinians examine the positioning of an in a single day Israeli assault, in Jabalia within the central Gaza Strip, on Could 30, 2025 (Bashar Taleb/AFP)
Did Hamas reject the ceasefire proposal?
In accordance with the group, no.
It says it responded positively however added a number of key provisions.
What are the important thing factors in Hamas’s proposal?
There are a number of.
Hamas has responded to the newest US-proposed ceasefire with calls for for a pathway to a everlasting ceasefire, as a substitute of a short lived one the place the Israeli authorities might unilaterally restart hostilities as they did in March.
They’ve additionally referred to as for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the resumption of help and help to the besieged space.
Israeli police intervene as tons of of protesters, together with Knesset member Meirav Cohen, collect on Jaffa Road on Could 31, 2025, within the occupied West Jerusalem (Saeed Qaq/Anadolu)
What are the important thing variations on this proposal and the one Witkoff relayed to Hamas?
Witkoff proposed a 60-day pause in hostilities. After that, the events (Israel and Hamas) would work to agree to increase the pause.
The difficulty with that is that the final time it occurred, Israel unilaterally determined to chop help to Gaza and began bombing it. To keep away from an identical situation, Hamas has tried to barter on the timeline for releasing the captives, 10 of them alive and 18 our bodies of these killed in the course of the conflict. Witkoff’s proposal referred to as for the discharge to happen inside every week of the 60-day pause.
Nonetheless, Hamas fears Israel will resume its bombing marketing campaign upon the discharge of the captives, so it has referred to as for staggering their launch all through the pause.
It has referred to as for a set checklist of negotiation subjects to keep away from what has occurred in previous negotiations with Israel, the place Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added provisions in what critics say was an try and derail talks and delay the conflict.
In accordance with the web site Drop Website Information, Hamas additionally reinserted a provision from the Could 25 settlement that Israel had withdrawn.
That provision could be for Hamas at hand over the governing of Gaza to “an impartial technocratic committee”.
Gaza is dealing with famine and extreme malnutrition, with kids most deeply affected (Haitham Imad/EPA)
What’s the US response to Hamas’s additions?
Witkoff referred to as Hamas’s response “completely unacceptable” and stated it “solely takes us backward”.
“Hamas ought to settle for the framework proposal we put ahead as the idea for proximity talks, which we are able to start instantly this coming week,” he wrote on X, previously Twitter.
“That’s the solely manner we are able to shut a 60-day ceasefire deal within the coming days during which half of the residing hostages and half of those that are deceased will come residence to their households and during which we are able to have on the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good-faith to attempt to attain a everlasting ceasefire.”
I acquired the Hamas response to the USA’ proposal. It’s completely unacceptable and solely takes us backward.
Hamas ought to settle for the framework proposal we put ahead as the idea for proximity talks, which we are able to start instantly this coming week.
That’s the solely…
— Workplace of the Particular Envoy to the Center East (@SE_MiddleEast) Could 31, 2025
US President Donald Trump beforehand stated the 2 sides have been nearing a deal.
What’s Israel saying?
The US and Israel appear to be in settlement on the phrases.
Israel claims its officers agreed with the US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Israel “backed and supported” the brand new proposal.
Netanyahu criticised the Hamas response, parroting Witkoff and laying the blame on the Palestinian group for failing to just accept the proposal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of stalling the ceasefire talks (File: Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photograph by way of AP)
“As Witkoff stated, Hamas’s response is unacceptable and units the state of affairs again. Israel will proceed its motion for the return of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” Netanyahu stated.
If the US and Israel agree, why is Hamas holding out?
Hamas is cautious of previous situations the place Israel selected to unilaterally break the ceasefire. That occurred in March, when Netanyahu determined to dam all help from coming into Gaza and restart the conflict.
Tamer Qarmout, an affiliate professor on the Doha Institute for Graduate Research, described the negotiations between Hamas and Israel as happening with “no good religion in anyway”.
“They (Israel) are fixated on one key aim, which is Hamas’s capitulation and give up, and disappearing from the scene,” Qarmout advised Al Jazeera.
“Hamas is engaged in these negotiations simply to attempt to cut back the horrors of the conflict, to permit some humanitarian help to enter and to additionally search for a dignified exit. Nobody in Hamas needs to see themselves surrendering this fashion.”
What occurs now?
Within the interim, Israel is constant to assault Gaza.
On Sunday, Israeli forces opened fireplace on Palestinians who had gathered at help distribution websites run by a US-backed group, Gaza Humanitarian Basis, in southern and central Gaza. No less than 31 individuals have been killed in Rafah and one other close to the Netzarim Hall.
In the meantime, residential houses throughout Gaza are nonetheless being bombed relentlessly.
Wounded Palestinians, together with kids and infants, are delivered to the al-Ahli Arab Hospital after an assault by the Israeli navy in Gaza on Could 29, 2025 (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu)
Supply hyperlink
