Middle East updates: Hamas demands permanent end to Gaza war
Hamas says response to ceasefire proposal has been submitted Delegation of Arab diplomats postpone West Bank visit Israel alleged to have refused the delegation entry through airspace it controls There has been no official comment from Israel yet
Below you can read a roundup of developments in Israel, Gaza and the wider Middle East from Saturday, May 31, 2025:
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it has submitted a response to a ceasefire proposal presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to mediators.
Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the US, the EU and several other countries, said it would release ten living hostages and the bodies of 18 others in return for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas also added an additional demand for the war to end.
"This proposal aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensure the flow of aid to our people and our families in the Gaza Strip," the group said in a statement.
It said its response came "after conducting a round of national consultations."
According to the White House, Israel has accepted the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war. Israeli media has reported that the plan drawn up by Witkoff provides for a 60-day truce.
There has been no official response from Israel regarding the planned trip to the Israeli-occupied West Bank by a delegation of top officials from Arab nations.
But news agencies have quoted an Israeli official as saying the ministers intended to take part in "a provocative meeting" to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state, both the AFP and the Reuters news agencies reported.
"Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel," the official said.
"Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security," the official was quoted as saying.
A delegation of Arab ministers who had planned to make a rare visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank have condemned Israel as they announced the postponement of the trip due to what they called "Israel's obstruction."
The group, led by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, had planned to travel from Jordan to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday and meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
"The committee decided to postpone the visit to Ramallah in light of Israel's obstruction of its mission by refusing the delegation entry through airspace in the occupied West Bank controlled by Israel," Jordan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on the social media platform X.
The ministers slammed the reported Israeli decision, calling it a "flagrant violation of Israel's obligations as the occupying power," the ministry added.
The delegation involved ministers ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey were also expected to be involved.
There was no official Israeli comment on the visit.
In Saturday's developments, a top Arab delegation has postponed a visit to the West Bank, claiming the group was barred entry by Israel.
The delegation involved ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey were also expected to be involved.
Meanwhile, Palestinian militant group Hamas is expected to respond to the US special envoy Steve Witkoff's ceasefire and hostage release proposal.
You can read more here as developments unfold across the Middle East region.
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