Latest news with #BassemNaim
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hamas seeks amendments to Gaza ceasefire proposal but US envoy calls it ‘unacceptable'
TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas is seeking amendments to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior official with the group told The Associated Press on Saturday, but U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff called the Hamas response 'totally unacceptable.' The latest friction in negotiations comes as the fighting nears 20 months of war, and as desperation grows among hungry Palestinians and relatives of hostages in Gaza. The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said proposed amendments focused on 'the U.S. guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.' There were no details. A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released ' in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.' Fifty-eight hostages remain and Israel believes 35 are dead. Witkoff on social media instead described a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages in Gaza and return half of those who have died. He urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal as the basis for talks that he said could begin next week. Israeli officials have approved the U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire. U.S. President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal. A top Hamas official, Bassem Naim, accused Israel of disagreeing with agreed-upon provisions and alleged a 'complete bias toward the other side' that he said violates the fairness of mediation. 'We want the bloodshed to stop,' Motasim, a man from the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, said of the talks. 'I swear to God, we are tired.' Palestinians in Gaza blocked and offloaded 77 food trucks, the U.N. World Food Program said, as hunger mounts following Israel's monthslong blockade of the territory. The WFP said the aid, mostly flour, was taken before the trucks could reach their destination. A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, told the AP the U.N. convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and offloaded by desperate civilians in their thousands. The nearly three-month blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of more than 2 million to the brink of famine. While Israel allowed some aid to enter in recent days, aid organizations say far from enough is getting in. Israel's military body in charge of aid coordination in Gaza, COGAT, said 579 trucks of aid had entered over the past week. The U.N. has said 600 per day were entering under the previous ceasefire that Israel ended with new bombardment. The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties,' it said in a statement. It added that it has over 140,000 metric tons of food — enough to feed Gazans for two months — ready to be brought in. The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by Israel's military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active and trucks were stopped. An internal document shared with aid groups about security incidents, seen by the AP, said there were four incidents of facilities being looted in three days at the end of May, not including Saturday's. The U.N. says it has been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. A new U.S- and Israeli-backed foundation started operations in Gaza this week, distributing food at several sites in a chaotic rollout. Israel says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation eventually will replace the aid operation by the U.N. and others. It says the new mechanism is necessary, accusing Hamas of siphoning off large amounts of aid. The U.N. denies that significant diversion takes place. The GHF works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely. Aid groups have accused the foundation of militarizing aid. The GHF said it distributed 30 truckloads of food on Saturday and called it their largest distribution so far. Israel continued its military campaign across Gaza, saying it struck dozens of targets over the past day. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. The ministry said three people were killed by Israeli gunfire early Saturday in Rafah. Three others were killed — parents and a child — when their car was struck in Gaza City. An Israeli strike hit another car in Gaza City, killing four. And an Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, killing six, said Weam Fares, a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital. Israel's military said several projectiles from Gaza fell in open areas. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. A group of hostages' relatives again pleaded for a comprehensive ceasefire deal that would free everyone at once, saying the remaining hostages 'will not survive continued military pressure.'
Belfast Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Hamas seeks amendments to Gaza ceasefire proposal
The Hamas official said proposed amendments focus on 'the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces'. There were no details. A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released 'in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners'. Fifty-eight hostages remain and Israel believes 35 are dead. Mr Witkoff described a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages in Gaza and return half of those who have died. He urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal as the basis for talks that he said could begin next week. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim accused Israel of disagreeing with agreed provisions and alleged a 'complete bias towards the other side' which he said violates the fairness of mediation. Israeli officials have approved the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the nearly 20-month war. US President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal.
The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Hamas seeks amendments to Gaza ceasefire proposal
A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released 'in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners'. Fifty-eight hostages remain and Israel believes 35 are dead. Mr Witkoff described a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages in Gaza and return half of those who have died. He urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal as the basis for talks that he said could begin next week. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim accused Israel of disagreeing with agreed provisions and alleged a 'complete bias towards the other side' which he said violates the fairness of mediation. Israeli officials have approved the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the nearly 20-month war. US President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal.
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
New US ceasefire proposal for Gaza falls short of key demands, Hamas says
GAZA — Hamas has said it's reviewing the latest US proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release deal, though reports suggest the Palestinian armed group may reject it. Full details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, but senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the proposal favored the Israeli position and failed to meet any of Hamas' key demands, chiefly a commitment from Israel to end the war, withdraw its forces from Gaza and permit unrestricted aid access to the territory. It comes after the White House said Israel had accepted the proposal. "The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine," said Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official. He added that the proposed deal "does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine." Nonetheless, he said the group would study the proposal "with all national responsibility." Though US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has not publicly disclosed the contents of the ceasefire proposal, a Hamas official and an Egyptian mediator confirmed key elements of the plan. The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day pause in fighting, with guarantees of serious negotiations toward a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after hostages are released, as it did following the March ceasefire. Israeli forces would withdraw to the positions they held before that truce collapsed. In return, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies over the course of the pause, in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including 100 serving long sentences for deadly attacks. The deal would also allow hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza daily. Aid groups warn that the nearly three-month Israeli blockade - only slightly eased in recent days - has brought much of Gaza's population to the brink of famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war in Gaza will not end until all hostages are freed and Hamas is either dismantled or forced into exile. He has also stated that Israel intends to retain indefinite security control over Gaza and support what he calls the "voluntary emigration" of a significant portion of its population. These plans have been widely condemned by Palestinians and much of the international community, with experts warning that forced displacement would likely violate international law. Hamas, for its part, has insisted it will only release the remaining hostages -- its key source of leverage -- in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the release of more Palestinian prisoners, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has also expressed willingness to hand over governance to a committee of politically independent Palestinians tasked with overseeing reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel has continued its bombardment of the strip overnight, issuing forced displacement orders for five more areas in northern Gaza on Friday morning. Israeli airstrikes on the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya killed at least 12 people, including three women, according to Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were taken. One strike reportedly hit a home, killing six members of the same family, while additional strikes targeted people in the street, the hospital said. Palestinians are also still struggling to access aid, as chaos erupts at food distribution sites amid reports of Israeli smoke bombs and gunfire. Aid distribution hubs set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are guarded by private security contractors, with Israeli forces positioned nearby. However, the UN and other humanitarian groups have rejected the new system, arguing it is inadequate to meet the needs of Gaza's population and allows Israel to use food as a means of control. — Euronews
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
US ceasefire proposal does not meet key demands, says Hamas
Hamas has said it's reviewing the latest US proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release deal, though reports suggest the Palestinian armed group may reject it. Full details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, but senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the proposal favoured the Israeli position and failed to meet any of Hamas' key demands, chiefly a commitment from Israel to end the war, withdraw its forces from Gaza and permit unrestricted aid access to the territory. It comes after the White House said Israel had accepted the proposal. "The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine," said Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official. He added that the proposed deal "does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine." Nonetheless, he said the group would study the proposal "with all national responsibility." Though US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has not publicly disclosed the contents of the ceasefire proposal, a Hamas official and an Egyptian mediator confirmed key elements of the plan. The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day pause in fighting, with guarantees of serious negotiations toward a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after hostages are released, as it did following the March ceasefire. Israeli forces would withdraw to the positions they held before that truce collapsed. In return, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies over the course of the pause, in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including 100 serving long sentences for deadly attacks. The deal would also allow hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza daily. Aid groups warn that the nearly three-month Israeli blockade - only slightly eased in recent days - has brought much of Gaza's population to the brink of famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war in Gaza will not end until all hostages are freed and Hamas is either dismantled or forced into exile. He has also stated that Israel intends to retain indefinite security control over Gaza and support what he calls the "voluntary emigration" of a significant portion of its population. These plans have been widely condemned by Palestinians and much of the international community, with experts warning that forced displacement would likely violate international law. Hamas, for its part, has insisted it will only release the remaining hostages - its key source of leverage - in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the release of more Palestinian prisoners, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has also expressed willingness to hand over governance to a committee of politically independent Palestinians tasked with overseeing reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel has continued its bombardment of the strip overnight, issuing forced displacement orders for five more areas in northern Gaza on Friday morning. Israeli airstrikes on the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya killed at least 12 people, including three women, according to Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were taken. One strike reportedly hit a home, killing six members of the same family, while additional strikes targeted people in the street, the hospital said. Palestinians are also still struggling to access aid, as chaos erupts at food distribution sites amid reports of Israeli smoke bombs and gunfire. Aid distribution hubs set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are guarded by private security contractors, with Israeli forces positioned nearby. However, the UN and other humanitarian groups have rejected the new system, arguing it is inadequate to meet the needs of Gaza's population and allows Israel to use food as a means of control.
