A senior Hamas official has told the BBC that the Palestinian militant group will reject the latest United States proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, despite it having the backing of Israel. The plan, formulated by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, outlines a 60-day ceasefire and a phased exchange involving 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others, in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Israel had signed off on the proposal before it was submitted to Hamas. “We hope that a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home,” she stated during a press briefing in Washington DC.
However, the senior Hamas official argued the deal fails to meet key demands, including a permanent end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The official also noted the absence of a guarantee that the truce would transition into a long-term ceasefire, or restore previous humanitarian protocols that had allowed hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza daily during the earlier ceasefire.
Israeli media reports indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu communicated to hostages’ families that he accepted the Witkoff plan, though the Israeli government has not officially commented. Netanyahu reiterated that Israel will not end the war until all hostages are freed, Hamas is dismantled, and its leadership removed from Gaza.
The conflict was reignited in March following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire. Since then, the Israeli military has launched a major offensive, with nearly 4,000 deaths reported in Gaza over the last 10 weeks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The UN warns that about 500,000 people are now at risk of catastrophic hunger.
Despite rejecting the current proposal, Hamas remains in communication with mediators and has promised a formal response. The impasse continues as humanitarian conditions worsen and diplomatic efforts persist in hopes of securing a lasting ceasefire and ending the devastating conflict.
