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Palestinian group Hamas claims a latest ceasefire proposal handed to them by United States particular envoy Steve Witkoff is completely different from one that they had agreed to per week earlier.
Basem Naim, a number one Hamas official, advised Al Jazeera on Saturday that the group “responded positively” to the most recent proposal relayed by Witkoff, although it supplied “no ensures to finish the battle”, in accordance with Naim.
Israel has killed greater than 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023, and its complete support blockade since March has brought about hunger and a famine-like state of affairs in Gaza, dwelling to 2.3 million folks, most of whom have been displaced by 19 months of relentless bombardment.
Amid worldwide strain, Israel has allowed a trickle of support into Gaza, which has been described as a “drop in an ocean” by humanitarian teams.
Right here’s what it is advisable know concerning the ceasefire proposal.
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 most recent US-proposed ceasefire with calls for for a pathway to a everlasting ceasefire, as a substitute of a brief one the place the Israeli authorities might unilaterally restart hostilities as they did in March.
They’ve additionally known as for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the resumption of support and help to the besieged space.
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 support to Gaza and began bombing it. To keep away from the same state of affairs, Hamas has tried to barter on the timeline for releasing the captives, 10 of them alive and 18 our bodies of these killed through the battle. Witkoff’s proposal known as for the discharge to happen inside per week of the 60-day pause.
Nevertheless, Hamas fears Israel will resume its bombing marketing campaign upon the discharge of the captives, so it has known as for staggering their launch all through the pause.
It has known as for a set record of negotiation matters 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 to derail talks and delay the battle.
In accordance with the web site Drop Website Information, Hamas additionally reinserted a provision from the Might 25 settlement that Israel had withdrawn.
That provision could be for Hamas at hand over the governing of Gaza to “an impartial technocratic committee”.
What’s the US response to Hamas’s additions?
Witkoff known 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 will start instantly this coming week,” he wrote on X, previously Twitter.
“That’s the solely approach we will shut a 60-day ceasefire deal within the coming days by which half of the residing hostages and half of those that are deceased will come dwelling to their households and by which we will have on the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good-faith to attempt to attain a everlasting ceasefire.”
I acquired the Hamas response to america’ 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 will start instantly this coming week.
That’s the solely…
— Workplace of the Particular Envoy to the Center East (@SE_MiddleEast) May 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.
“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 cases the place Israel selected to unilaterally break the ceasefire. That occurred in March, when Netanyahu determined to dam all support from coming into Gaza and restart the battle.
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 any respect”.
“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 scale back the horrors of the battle, to permit some humanitarian support to enter and to additionally search for a dignified exit. Nobody in Hamas desires to see themselves surrendering this fashion.”
What occurs now?
Within the interim, Israel is continuous to assault Gaza.
On Sunday, Israeli forces opened hearth on Palestinians who had gathered at support distribution websites run by a US-backed group, Gaza Humanitarian Basis, in southern and central Gaza. At the least 31 folks have been killed in Rafah and one other close to the Netzarim Hall.
In the meantime, residential homes across Gaza are nonetheless being bombed relentlessly.
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