"Totally Unacceptable": US Envoy On Hamas' Answer To Truce Proposal In Gaza
Washington:
Hamas said it submitted a response to the US proposal for a truce in Gaza, but Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff quickly dismissed it as "totally unacceptable."
"Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward," Witkoff said Saturday in a post on X. He added that further talks on a truce "can begin immediately this coming week."
The key differences between the US proposal and Hamas's response appeared to be the duration of any truce and the extent to which Israeli forces withdraw.
Hamas responded earlier in the day to the US proposal with changes that aimed "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 Strip."
As part of the agreement, Hamas said in a statement it would release 10 living Israeli prisoners and return 18 bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, according to the statement. The group didn't specify whether it was accepting or rejecting the proposal.
Israel had earlier accepted the US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, which Witkoff said on social media involved a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the living hostages and half of the dead ones. Israeli officials familiar with the matter said the proposal would also restore United Nations-led aid distribution to the Palestinian territory.
Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US, European Union and many other countries, is seeking amendments to some points, including the timing of the hostage release, delivery of aid and withdrawal of Israeli forces, the Associated Press reported, citing an unidentified official.
An earlier ceasefire ended in mid-March and talks over a new truce have stalled as Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while the Israeli government wants the group to disarm and disband.
International pressure to halt the protracted war has grown as the humanitarian crisis worsened in Gaza. Relief agencies say more than 2 million civilians in the ruined coastal enclave have been brought to the brink of famine by Israel's 11-week blockade. While food deliveries resumed this week under the auspices of a Swiss-based nonprofit Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the rollout has been dogged by delays and chaos.
While it's unclear whether Israel will accept any new conditions or amendments to the US proposal, at least some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government expressed optimism over the prospects for a truce.
Speaking to Channel 12 TV on Saturday following reports of the Hamas response, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, said: "I assess that time is not on the side of Hamas, and therefore that it will ultimately agree to the Witkoff proposal."
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