Israel Accepts Gaza Deal Restoring UN Aid as Hamas Remains Wary
Israel has accepted a US ceasefire proposal for Gaza that Israeli officials familiar with the matter said would involve a 60-day pause in the fighting and restore UN-led aid distribution to the enclave.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Israel signed off on the proposal before it was submitted to Hamas but didn't say what was in it. Two Israeli officials confirmed that decision.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and many other countries, criticized the proposal as one-sided on Thursday but hasn't officially responded to the latest offer.
The Israeli officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing the issue, said other terms of the truce, proposed by Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, include Hamas releasing 10 live hostages and returning the remains of 18 who died in captivity.
Israel has restarted some aid deliveries to Gaza after an 11-week blockade, while seeking to isolate Hamas from the population by cutting it out of the process. Restoring UN-led distribution would reverse a decision by the Israeli government to sideline the organization and install a privately run system.
Operations by a new nonprofit known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been dogged by reports of chaotic distribution efforts. GHF began distributing limited amounts of aid earlier this week and says it's increasing deliveries.
The US proposal also includes engaging in negotiations during the truce toward a permanent end to the fighting, which started when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting about 250.
More than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the enclave's Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between between combatants and civilians. Israel has lost more than 400 soldiers in the fighting.
It's unlikely that the proposal would meet the ultimate demands of either side. Hamas, which is committed to destroying Israel, has insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal and permanent end to the war. The Israeli government wants the group to disarm and disband.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's leadership, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that the plan is essentially an Israeli proposal that perpetuates the occupation of Gaza.
With assistance from Alisa Odenheimer.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
DMDK to reconsider alliance after AIADMK defers Rajya Sabha seat
Premlatha Vijayakanth and Edappadi K Palaniswam (R) NEW DELHI: The DMDK expressed dissatisfaction over AIADMK's decision to postpone the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat to the party until 2026. DMDK general secretary Premlatha Vijayakanth said her party would announce its alliance plans ahead of 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, during a meeting in Cuddalore on January 9, 2026. Without directly accusing the AIADMK of breaking promises made before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Premalatha pointed out that parties like the PMK and TMC were already given Rajya Sabha seats by the AIADMK and insisted it was now DMDK's turn. She revealed that AIADMK had given a written commitment to allot five Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat to the DMDK during the 2024 elections. However, when asked for a specific date, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami reportedly said that such letters typically don't mention the year. AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy confirmed on June 1 that the DMDK remains part of the AIADMK-led alliance and would be given a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026. Palaniswami also played down the rift, saying the alliance was intact and attempts to break it would fail. The reassurance came a day after DMDK treasurer L K Sudheesh met Palaniswami to discuss the Rajya Sabha polls. Premalatha said politics was closely tied to elections and that her party would also act in its own interests for the 2026 Assembly polls. She announced that DMDK would soon appoint election in-charges for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and begin preparations. She also thanked chief minister M K Stalin and the DMK for passing a resolution in their general council meeting in Madurai on June 1, honouring DMDK founder and late leader 'Captain' Vijayakanth.
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
Asia's factory output declines in May amid weak demand from China, US tariffs
Asia's factory activity declined in May, hit by weak demand from China and the ongoing impact of US tariffs, according to private surveys released Monday, signaling a slowdown in the region's economy. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Manufacturing operations in Japan and South Korea experienced ongoing decline during May, while concerns about US President 's automobile tariffs cast uncertainty over export prospects. Further economic concerns emerged as China's official survey revealed continued manufacturing decline in May, marking two consecutive months of contraction in the largest Asian economy. Analysts said that slow progress in trade talks with the US is keeping businesses cautious about increasing production or investment. "It's hard to expect a pick-up in Asia's manufacturing activity any time soon with countries in the region slapped with quite high 'reciprocal' tariffs," Toru Nishihama, chief emerging market economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute told Reuters. "With domestic demand weak, China is flooding Asia with cheap exports, which is also putting deflationary pressure on the region's economies," he added. Japanese manufacturing PMI data from au Jibun Bank indicated 49.4 for May, showing improvement from April whilst remaining in contraction territory for the eleventh consecutive month, according to Monday's private survey. The fourth-largest Asian economy recorded 47.7 in May, continuing below the 50-point threshold for four straight months, affected by weak demand and US tariffs, as reported by S&P Global. Both Japanese and South Korean economies contracted in the first quarter, impacted by Trump's tariffs and US trade policy uncertainty affecting exports and business activities, with no immediate signs of improvement visible. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Earlier on Friday, Trump accused China of violating bilateral tariff reduction agreements, while China maintained that it had sustained trade communications with the United States. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick added fuel to the fire, saying on Fox News that China was 'slow-rolling' the agreement. China swiftly rejected the accusations, calling them baseless and 'seriously contrary to the facts.' In a strong statement, its commerce ministry said Beijing "firmly rejects these unreasonable accusations." Trump further announced that global tariffs on steel and aluminium would be doubled from 25% to 50%, saying the move is aimed at providing stronger protection for the US steel industry. Meanwhile, Japan and the US agreed to hold another round of trade talks ahead of the G7 summit in June. However, Japan's top tariff negotiator stated that no deal would be made without concessions on all US tariffs, including those on automobiles. The private surveys further showed that Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan also saw factory activity contract in May.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
'We host G20, they host Terrorist-20': Priyanka Chaturvedi's sharp attack on Pakistan
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi defended India on the world stage as part of an international delegation to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Operation Sindoor against Pakistan terrorists in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
