The Palestinian group Hamas says that a recent cease-fire proposal that has been adopted by the United States special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is different from the one they had accepted a week earlier.
Basem Naim, a leader in Hamas, told Tel Aviv Tribune on Saturday that the group had “responded positively” to the last proposal relayed by Witkoff, even if it offered “no guarantee to end the war”, according to Naim.
Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023, and its blockade of total aid since March caused famine and a famine situation in Gaza, which houses 2.3 million people, most of whom were moved by 19 months of implacable bombardment.
In the midst of international pressure, Israel allowed a net of aid to Gaza, which was described as a “drop in an ocean” by humanitarian groups.
Here’s what you need to know about the cease-fire proposal.
Has Hamas rejected the cease-fire proposal?
According to the group, no.
He said he responded positively but added some key arrangements.
What are the key points of Hamas’ proposal?
There are a few.
Hamas responded to the last cease-fire proposed by the United States with requests for a way to a permanent ceasefire, instead of a temporary path where the Israeli government could unilaterally restart hostilities as they did in March.
They also called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and resuming aid and aid to the besieged area.
What are the main differences in this proposal and that of Witkoff relayed in Hamas?
Witkoff offered a 60 -day break in hostilities. After that, the parties (Israel and Hamas) would endeavor to accept the break.
The problem is that the last time has happened, Israel has unilaterally decided to reduce Gaza aid and started bombing it. To avoid a similar scenario, Hamas tried to negotiate the calendar to release the captives, 10 of them living and 18 bodies of those who were killed during the war. Witkoff’s proposal asked that the release will take place within the week of the 60 -day break.
However, Hamas fears that Israel resumes its bombing campaign during the release of the captives, so it called to amaze their release throughout the break.
He called for a list of negotiation subjects to avoid what happened during the negotiations spent with Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added provisions in what criticisms say they are an attempt to derail talks and prolong the war.
According to the DROP Site News website, Hamas also reintegrated a provision of the May 25 agreement that Israel had withdrawn.
This provision would be that Hamas gave Gaza’s governance to “an independent technocratic committee”.
What is the American reaction to the addition of Hamas?
Witkoff described Hamas’ response “totally unacceptable” and said that “we are back”.
“Hamas should accept the framework proposal that we have presented as a local talks, which we can start immediately the coming week,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“This is the only way we can conclude a 60-day ceasefire agreement in the coming days when half of living hostages and half of those who died will come back home in their families and in which we can have at the nearby talks of substantial negotiations in good faith to try to reach a permanent cease-fire.”
I received Hamas’ response to the United States’s proposal. It is completely unacceptable and only brings us back.
Hamas should accept the proposal for a framework that we presented as proximity talks, which we can start immediately the coming week.
It’s the only one …
– Office of the Special Envoy in the Middle East (@se_middleeast) May 31, 2025
President Donald Trump previously said that the two parties were approaching an agreement.
What is Israel say?
The United States and Israel seem to agree on the terms.
Israel claims that its officials agreed with the American proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Israel had “supported and supported” the new proposal.
Netanyahu criticized Hamas’ response, parrocheting Witkoff and blaming the Palestinian group for failing to accept the proposal.
“As Witkoff said, Hamas’ response is unacceptable and makes the situation go back. Israel will continue its action for the return of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” said Netanyahu.
If the United States and Israel agree, why does Hamas hold?
Hamas is wary of past cases where Israel has chosen to unilaterally break the ceasefire. This happened in March, when Netanyahu decided to prevent any help from entering Gaza and restarting war.
Tamer Qarmout, an associate professor at the Doha Institute for Higher Studies, described the negotiations between Hamas and Israel as having “no good faith”.
“They (Israel) are set on a key objective, which is the capitulation and delivery of Hamas, and disappearing from the scene,” Qarmout told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“Hamas is engaged in these negotiations just to try to reduce war horrors, to allow humanitarian aid to enter and also seek a dignified outing. No one in Hamas wants to be surrendered this way. ”
What’s going on now?
In the meantime, Israel continues to attack Gaza.
Israeli forces opened fire on the Palestinians who had gathered on a help distribution by the United States, Gaza Humaninian Foundation, in the south and center of Gaza on Sunday on Sunday in the South and Gaza. At least 31 people were killed in Rafah and another near the netzarim corridor.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s residential houses are always bombed tirelessly.