Hamas counters US-backed cease-fire proposal, delays end to fighting in Gaza
WASHINGTON — Hamas is reportedly calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in discussions on a permanent cease-fire after an initial release of hostages is completed as part of a US-backed peace proposal handed over to the terror group.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff received the response requesting a lengthier negotiation process on Saturday, a source told The Times of Israel, indicating that more changes could delay the talks for a 60-day truce.
The latest proposal had also suggested a longer timeline for hostage and prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas.
A rep for Witkoff declined to comment.
The most recent cease-fire proposal pitched Thursday by Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, calls for a 60-day truce as well as the release of the 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased captives.
3 US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has made two previous attempts to initiate a cease-fire.
Getty Images
It marked the second attempt by Witkoff to halt the fighting in Gaza.
The deal would also prompt the release of 125 Palestinian terrorists serving life sentences in Israel and 1,111 more from Gaza who have been detained since the war broke out Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas' massacre of 1,200 Israelis.
Another 180 bodies of dead Palestinians in Israel would also be returned under the terms of the proposal.
Witkoff's spokesman said Saturday morning there were no developments on the cease-fire.
Hamas official Bassem Naiem said Thursday that the terror group felt 'screwed over' by the latest peace offering, a source told the Jerusalem Post.
Left unresolved in peace talks is whether the Israel Defense Forces will resume their ground assault in the Gaza Strip at the conclusion of the cease-fire period.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said previously that the IDF will 'take over all areas' of Gaza, but admitted that avoiding 'a situation of famine' for Palestinian civilians was essential.
3 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that the IDF will 'take over all areas' of Gaza earlier this month.
REUTERS
'People simply won't support us,' he said in a video posted on his Telegram page May 22. 'We won't be able to complete the mission of victory.'
Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah had been brokering the talks between Hamas and Israel in Doha, Qatar, on behalf of the Trump administration, CNN reported.
3 A previous cease-fire proposal before President Trump took office resulted in a 42-day truce beginning Jan. 19.
AFP via Getty Images
A previous cease-fire proposal before President Trump took office resulted in a 42-day truce beginning Jan. 19.
That led to the release of 33 Israeli hostages — eight of whom were deceased — and nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees being sent back to Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
What we know about the attack against a group of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Six people calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza were injured Sunday at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, by a man who police say used a makeshift flamethrower and hurled an incendiary device into a crowd. The FBI immediately described the incident as a 'targeted terror attack.' The suspect, identified by the FBI as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack on the group of demonstrators, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. Soliman was arrested and taken to the hospital for treatment, but authorities didn't elaborate on his injuries. Here is what we know about the attack: How the attack unfolded Soliman attacked demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run for Their Lives, which organizes run and walk events to call for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza since a war between Israel and Hamas sparked in 2023, authorities said. The group had gathered at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder popular with tourists and students. The Israel-Hamas war continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. Police in Boulder evacuated multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear. 'Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,' FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Several people hospitalized Those injured range in age from 67 to 88, officials said. All were hospitalized. Photos from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground in the fetal position with her hair soaked, and a man helping her and getting water from someone with a water jug. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor. Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. Who the suspect is Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested at the scene. No charges were immediately announced but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable.' Video from the scene showed him shirtless and wearing jeans and holding two clear bottles with a transparent liquid in them while shouting at onlookers. Another video shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Fox News
35 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mohamed Sabry Soliman: What we know about illegal immigrant accused in Colorado terror attack
The suspect accused in a "targeted terror attack" in Boulder, Colorado, where a pro-Israel group was advocating for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, was in the United States illegally, Fox News has learned. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested and taken to the hospital with minor injuries after his alleged attack on the "Run for Their Lives" group that was gathering on Pearl Street, police said Sunday night. The group is a grassroots organization that facilitates global run and walk events calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. This particular chapter of the group meets on a weekly basis, police said. Soliman is an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa after entering the U.S. during the Biden administration, three Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources told Fox News. Soliman first arrived in the U.S. after landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 27, 2022, with a non-immigrant visa. He was authorized to stay through Feb. 2, 2023, but never left. On Sept. 9, 2022, he filed a claim with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. On March 29, 2023, Soliman was granted work authorization, which was valid through March of this year. "A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien," White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wrote on X. "He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed." Soliman was allegedly yelling "Free Palestine" during the attack, which was near the county courthouse on Pearl Street. Police responded to the area after receiving reports of a man with weapon setting people on fire. The FBI said six people, ages 67 to 88, were injured and taken to the hospital. One of those victims is considered to be in critical condition. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said the attack is being investigated as an act of "ideologically motivated violence," based on early information, evidence and witness accounts. Soliman was booked into the Boulder County Jail on Sunday evening. The specific charges he is facing were not immediately available.
San Francisco Chronicle
39 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
What we know about the attack against a group of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Six people calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza were injured Sunday at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, by a man who police say used a makeshift flamethrower and hurled an incendiary device into a crowd. The FBI immediately described the incident as a 'targeted terror attack.' The suspect, identified by the FBI as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack on the group of demonstrators, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. Here is what we know about the attack: How the attack unfolded Soliman attacked demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run for Their Lives, which organizes run and walk events to call for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza since a war between Israel and Hamas sparked in 2023, authorities said. The group had gathered at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder popular with tourists and students. The Israel-Hamas war continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. Police in Boulder evacuated multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear. 'Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,' FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Several people hospitalized Those injured range in age from 67 to 88, officials said. All were hospitalized. Photos from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground in the fetal position with her hair soaked, and a man helping her and getting water from someone with a water jug. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor. Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. Who the suspect is Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested at the scene. No charges were immediately announced but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable.' Video from the scene showed him shirtless and wearing jeans and holding two clear bottles with a transparent liquid in them while shouting at onlookers. Another video shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
