Hamas Poised to Reject Latest US-Brokered Ceasefire and Hostage Agreement Reached by Israel

A senior Hamas official announced that the group intends to reject the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal.

According to the White House, Israel has already approved the plan submitted by US envoy Steve Witkoff and is now awaiting Hamas’s official response.

Reports from Israeli media suggest that the deal involves Hamas releasing 10 live hostages and returning the bodies of 18 others over two phases, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners. However, the Hamas representative stated that the proposal fails to meet critical demands, including a total end to the conflict, and confirmed that Hamas would provide its official reply in due course.

While the Israeli government has not made any public statements, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly informed the families of hostages that he supports Witkoff’s proposal.

Israel had previously imposed a complete blockade on Gaza and resumed military operations in March, following the collapse of a US, Qatari, and Egyptian-mediated two-month ceasefire. The renewed offensive was aimed at compelling Hamas to release the remaining 58 hostages, of whom at least 20 are believed to still be alive.

In mid-May, Israel expanded its military operations, with Netanyahu declaring that troops would take control of all areas in Gaza. He later announced a partial easing of the blockade, allowing limited food supplies into the territory to prevent famine.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, nearly 4,000 people have been killed in Gaza over the past 10 weeks. The UN estimates that 600,000 people have been displaced once again due to ongoing military operations and evacuation orders. A UN-backed report has warned that approximately 500,000 people face severe hunger in the coming months.

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, the White House confirmed that Israel had approved the ceasefire proposal submitted to Hamas. Talks with mediators are ongoing, and the US hopes a ceasefire will facilitate the release of all hostages.

However, a Hamas official told the BBC that the latest proposal differs from previous discussions. The group argued that the proposal lacks assurances for transitioning from a temporary truce to a permanent ceasefire and fails to restore humanitarian provisions that previously allowed hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza daily. Despite this, Hamas affirmed it remains in contact with mediators and will provide a formal written response soon.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu told hostage families, “We agree to accept the latest Witkoff plan 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 hostages are back.”

Netanyahu’s office later issued a statement accusing a journalist of attempting to bring a recording device into the meeting but did not deny Netanyahu’s support for the US proposal.

Netanyahu has consistently reiterated that Israel will not end the war until all hostages are freed, Hamas is disarmed or destroyed, and its leaders are forced into exile. Conversely, Hamas has stated it is willing to release all hostages in exchange for a total end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages. Four additional hostages were already being held in Gaza before the attack. To date, Israel has managed to secure the return of 197 hostages, including 148 alive, mostly through two temporary ceasefire agreements.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 54,249 people have been killed since the start of the war, with 3,986 deaths reported since hostilities resumed. On Thursday alone, 54 people were reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes, including 23 who died in a single home in the central Bureij area. The Israeli military reported targeting “dozens of terror targets” in the past 24 hours.