Hamas agrees to US proposal on Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian official says
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Hamas agrees to US proposal on Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian official says
Hamas has agreed to a proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff for a Gaza ceasefire. Proposal sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce. Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants’ cross-border attack on Oct 7, 2023. The conflict has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The new proposal, which sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce, was received by Hamas through mediators.
“The proposal includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” the source said.
The proposal also sees the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, including hundreds serving lengthy prison terms.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
On March 18, Israel effectively ended a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas and renewed its military campaign in Gaza. Hamas and allied factions began firing rockets and attacks two days later.
Hamas has said it is willing to free all remaining hostages seized by its gunmen in attacks on communities in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and agree to a permanent ceasefire if Israel pulls out completely from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would only be willing to agree to a temporary ceasefire in return for the release of hostages, vowing that war can only end once Hamas is eradicated.
Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants’ cross-border attack on Oct 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza.
The conflict has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. Aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread.
Hamas agrees to US envoy’s Gaza ceasefire proposal for truce, hostage release
Hamas has agreed to a proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff for a Gaza ceasefire. The proposal sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce. Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants’ cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. The conflict has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The new proposal, which sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce, was received by Hamas through mediators.
“The proposal includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” the source said.
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The proposal also sees the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, including hundreds serving lengthy prison terms.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
On March 18, Israel effectively ended a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas and renewed its military campaign in Gaza. Hamas and allied factions began firing rockets and attacks two days later.
Hamas has said it is willing to free all remaining hostages seized by its gunmen in attacks on communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and agree to a permanent ceasefire if Israel pulls out completely from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would only be willing to agree to a temporary ceasefire in return for the release of hostages, vowing that war can only end once Hamas is eradicated.
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Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas militants’ cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza.
The conflict has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. Aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread.
Published By: Vivek Published On: May 26, 2025
Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire deal proposal attributed to Witkoff, official says
Hamas agrees to release 10 hostages in return for a 70-day ceasefire, source says. The proposal is separate from one made by US envoy Steve Witkoff. Israeli officials say they are prepared for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages. U.S. has asked Israel to delay its full-scale military operation in Gaza as part of efforts to exhaust negotiations for a hostage deal, sources say. The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip. The meeting will be the first since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in mid-July, the sources say, and could lead to an agreement on a long-term deal for the conflict to end. The United Nations has called for an end to the violence in Gaza by the end of the week, but no deal has yet been reached, they say. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details.
The new proposal, which sees the release of 10 hostages and 70 days of truce, was reportedly received by Hamas through mediators.
“The proposal includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” the source said.
The proposal also sees the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, including hundreds of those serving lengthy prison terms. The framework agreed upon by Hamas appeared to be distinct from Witkoff’s proposal that Israel had previously approved.
Hamas claims rejected by Witkoff, says no offer agreed by group
Witkoff responded to the claims on Monday, rejecting the notion that Hamas had accepted the offer for a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza. Steve Witkoff seen on a background of Hamas terrorists and a protest sign featuring US President Donald Trump (illustrative) (credit: Israel Hadari/Flash90, REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN)
“What I’ve heard so far from Hamas has been disappointing and completely unacceptable,” he told Walla. He affirmed that Israel has agreed to his offer for a deal that includes releasing half of the living hostages and half of the deal.
“I agreed to lead these negotiations,” Witkoff emphasized, “There is a deal on the table, and Hamas needs to accept it,” adding that the ceasefire “will lead to meaningful negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire.”
No responsible government could accept the Hamas ceasefire proposal, an anonymous Israeli official said, rejecting the assertion that the deal matched one proposed by Witkoff, adding that Hamas is not interested in a deal.
Israel rejected Hamas-crafted deal earlier on Monday
Earlier on Monday, Israel said it rejected a Hamas-crafted proposal for the immediate release of five hostages, which was formulated by Hamas and passed on through direct backchannel communications to the US, which then presented the plan to Jerusalem.
“[The proposal is] very far away from the outline that we are willing to negotiate on,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
Notably, the US didn’t say whether it supported the proposal or not.
The proposal included the release of five living hostages in return for the following: IDF withdrawing to its positions in Gaza from two months ago, allowing humanitarian aid into all areas of Gaza, continued talks for the release of remaining living and dead hostages, and what was described as “some kind of American recognition of Hamas.”
The United States has asked Israel in recent days to delay its full-scale military operation in Gaza as part of efforts to exhaust negotiations for a hostage deal, two sources familiar with the matter told the Post on Sunday.
Netanyahu is prepared for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages
Netanyahu is prepared for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages. Despite the ongoing military activity and as a result of Israeli statements, the US has asked Israel to allow the current negotiations for a potential hostage deal to continue.
“If there’s an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages, we are prepared for that,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last Wednesday.
Israel decided to recall its delegation from Qatar last Thursday after Hamas insisted on American guarantees to end the war as part of any agreement.
Israeli officials maintain that the only deal currently on the table is the “Witkoff framework,” which includes the release of 10 hostages and a 60-day ceasefire. An Israeli source told the Post a few days ago, “It’s deadlocked.”
Although the Israeli delegation has left Qatar, the US administration continues indirect talks with Hamas through Dr. Bashara Bahbah, who previously led the “Arab Americans for Trump” campaign.
European leaders speaking out on Gaza, aid distribution
The new proposals come as a growing number of European officials have been voicing their concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Israel’s recent attacks on Gaza are taking a humanitarian toll on civilians that can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism.
Hamas bears full responsibility for provoking the war in Gaza, using its people as human shields, and placing military infrastructure beneath civilian sites, but it is time for Israel to make a truce, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview with broadcaster Rai 3.
“Hamas’s trap dragged Israel into a war that the civilian population is paying for… Hamas has a huge responsibility toward its own people, which it is using as a human shield,” he added, calling it “criminal to build military bases under hospitals.”
“Israel has won the war against Hamas,” Tajani said, adding, “harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism.”Earlier this month, several EU leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, also called for an immediate ceasefire.
Walla contributed to this report.
10 hostages in exchange for 70-day truce: Hamas agrees to US proposal on Gaza ceasefire
Hamas has accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a Reuters report on Monday. The proposal was delivered to Hamas via mediators and includes the release of ten hostages in exchange for a 70-day truce, added the report. Israel has not yet issued an official response to the proposal. On March 18, Israel effectively ended a ceasefire agreement reached in January and resumed its military offensive in Gaza. In response, Hamas and allied groups began launching rocket attacks two days later.
A drone view shows displaced Palestinians sheltering in tents set up near the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City on February 17, 2025. Reuters File
Hamas has accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, potentially opening the door to an end to the conflict with Israel, according to a Reuters report on Monday, citing a Palestinian official close to the group.
The proposal was delivered to Hamas via mediators and includes the release of ten hostages in exchange for a 70-day truce, added the report.
“The proposal includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” Reuters quoted the source as saying.
The proposal also includes the release of several Palestinian prisoners by Israel, among them hundreds serving long-term sentences.
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According to the report, Israel has not yet issued an official response.
On March 18, Israel effectively ended a ceasefire agreement reached in January and resumed its military offensive in Gaza.
In response, Hamas and allied groups began launching rocket attacks two days later.
Hamas has said it is prepared to release all remaining hostages taken during its October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israeli communities — an attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken into Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
In exchange, the group is demanding a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has ruled out a permanent truce, stating that Israel would only agree to a temporary ceasefire in return for the hostages’ release. He has reiterated that the war will continue until Hamas is completely dismantled.
Since Israel launched its air and ground campaign in response to the October 7 attack, nearly 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health officials in Gaza.
The conflict has devastated much of the enclave, with aid organizations warning of widespread severe malnutrition and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
With inputs from agencies
Hamas agrees to US proposal on Gaza ceasefire: report
Palestinian resistance group Hamas has reportedly agreed to a proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff for a Gaza ceasefire. The new proposal sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce. Sweden’s foreign ministry plans to summon Israel’s ambassador in Stockholm over the humanitarian aid situation in Gaza. UN says stocks of medical equipment in Gaza are running low and that nearly half of basic medicines are out of stock.
The new proposal, which sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce, was received by Hamas through mediators.
Earlier, Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera confirmed that representatives of Hamas and US special envoy Steve Witkoff have reached a draft ceasefire deal in Qatar’s capital Doha.
Five Israeli captives will be released in the beginning of the agreement, with the other five released on the 60th day.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s foreign ministry plans to summon Israel’s ambassador in Stockholm over the humanitarian aid situation in Gaza, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said.
The UN’s health agancy has said that stocks of medical equipment in Gaza are running low and that nearly half of basic medicines such as painkillers are out of stock, Al Jazeera reports.
Also read: Heart-wrenching story of Alaa Al Najjar: The Gaza doctor who lost 9 children while saving lives
“We are at stock zero of close to 64 percent of medical equipment and stock zero of 42 per cent of essential medicines and vaccines,” Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told reporters in Geneva.
In remarks last week, Balkhy warned that health conditions in Gaza had reached “crisis levels” and that medical facilities were “barely functional”.