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Saudi Gazette
3 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
3 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.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Hamas says US ceasefire plan for Gaza backed by Israel fails to meet demands
Hamas has said a new Israeli-backed US ceasefire plan would not meet its demands for ending the war and the Israeli blockade of Gaza . However, Hamas said it is studying the proposal 'with all national responsibility'. Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, told the Associated Press that Israel's response 'means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine'. He said it 'does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine'. READ MORE Another senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters the terms echoed Israel's position and did not contain commitments to end the war, withdraw Israeli troops or admit aid as Hamas has demanded. Hamas said it was reviewing the plan and will respond today or tomorrow. Deep differences between the militant group and Israel have stymied previous attempts to restore a ceasefire that broke down in March. Earlier the US said Israel has 'signed off' on the proposal. US president Donald Trump and US envoy Steve Witkoff 'submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed,' the White House said on Thursday, adding that discussions were 'ongoing'. According to a draft leaked to Reuters, the proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire that would be guaranteed by Mr Trump and mediators Qatar and Egypt and an exchange of 28 Israeli hostages – alive and dead – for 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians in the first week. Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour broke down in tears as he described the suffering of children amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Video: Reuters Aid would be sent to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the agreement according to the draft and Hamas would release the last 30 hostages once a permanent ceasefire is in place, Reuters reported. According to a draft seen by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the aid would be distributed by channels including the UN and Red Crescent. Although all Israeli offensive military activities would cease on the agreement going into force, the army would be redeployed in areas in northern and southern Gaza, as well as the so-called Netzarim Corridor, the paper reported. French president Emmanuel Macron has said European countries should 'harden the collective position' against Israel if it does not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. As Agence-France Presse reported, with international pressure mounting on Israel over the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, Mr Macron said action was needed 'in the next few hours and days'. He also asserted recognition of a Palestinian state with conditions was 'not only a moral duty, but a political necessity'. The Israeli military issued a new evacuation warning covering a large area of northern Gaza late on Thursday. It calls for Palestinians residing in Al-Atatra, Jabalia, and the Gaza City neighbourhoods of Shujaiya and Al-Zaytun to head west, warning that these areas 'will be considered dangerous combat zones' immediately. Israeli forces are carrying out a 'forced evacuation' of patients and medical staff inside Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, hospital officials said. The latest Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza reached 54,249 on Thursday, according to figures by the territory's Gaza-controlled health ministry. The UN criticised Israel's announcement that it will establish 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing the decision as moving 'in the wrong direction'. A UN spokesperson repeated calls by UN chief António Guterres for Israel to 'cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.' – Guardian
The Herald
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald
US proposes 60-day ceasefire for Gaza, hostage-prisoner swap, plan shows
Israel has insisted Hamas disarm completely, be dismantled as a military and governing force and return all 58 hostages held in Gaza before it will agree to end the war. Hamas has rejected the demand to give up its weapons and said Israel must pull its troops out of Gaza and commit to ending the war. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack in its south on October 7 2023, that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 Israelis taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The subsequent Israeli military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials said, and left the enclave in ruins. Israel has come under increasing international pressure, with many European countries usually reluctant to criticise it openly demanding an end to the war and a major relief effort. Witkoff told reporters on Wednesday Washington was close to "sending out a new term sheet" about a ceasefire by the two sides in the conflict. "I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution, of the conflict," Witkoff said at the time. The 60-day ceasefire, according to the plan, may be extended if negotiations for a permanent ceasefire are not concluded within the set time. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Thursday the terms of the proposal echoed Israel's position and did not contain commitments to end the war, withdraw Israeli troops or admit aid as Hamas has demanded. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private group backed by the US and endorsed by Israel, expanded its aid distribution to a third site in Gaza on Thursday. Heavily criticised by the UNs and other aid groups as inadequate and flawed, the group began its operation this week in Gaza, where the UN said 2-million people are at risk of famine after Israel's 11-week blockade on aid entering the enclave. The launch was marred by tumultuous scenes on Tuesday as thousands of Palestinians rushed to distribution points and forced private security contractors to retreat. The chaotic start to the operation has raised international pressure on Israel to get more food in and halt the fighting in Gaza. The GHF has so far supplied about 1.8-million meals and plans to open more sites in coming weeks. Reuters
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Middle East crisis live: Hamas says Israeli-backed US ceasefire plan would continue ‘killing and famine' in Gaza
Update: Date: 2025-05-30T06:16:47.000Z Title: Opening summary Content: Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Israel's war on Gaza. Hamas has said a new Israeli-backed US ceasefire plan would not put an end to the war or the Israeli blockade of Gaza, although it is studying the proposal 'with all national responsibility'. Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, told the Associated Press that Israel's response 'means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine'. He said it 'does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.' Another senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters the terms echoed Israel's position and did not contain commitments to end the war, withdraw Israeli troops or admit aid as Hamas has demanded. Earlier the US said Israel has 'signed off' on the proposal. Donald Trump and US envoy Steve Witkoff 'submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed,' the White House said on Thursday, adding that discussions were 'ongoing'. According to a draft leaked to Reuters, the proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire that would be guaranteed by Trump and mediators Qatar and Egypt and an exchange of 28 Israeli hostages – alive and dead – for 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians in the first week. Aid would be sent to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the agreement according to the draft and Hamas would release the last 30 hostages once a permanent ceasefire is in place, Reuters reported. According to a draft seen by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the aid would be distributed by channels including the UN and Red Crescent. Though all Israeli offensive military activities would cease upon the agreement going into force, the army would be redeployed in areas in northern and southern Gaza, as well as the so-called Netzarim Corridor, the paper reported. In other key developments: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a new evacuation warning covering a large area of northern Gaza late on Thursday. It calls for Palestinians residing in Al-Atatra, Jabalia, and the Gaza City neighbourhoods of Shujaiya and Al-Zaytun to head west, warning that these areas 'will be considered dangerous combat zones' immediately. Israeli forces are carrying out a 'forced evacuation' of patients and medical staff inside Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, hospital officials said. Earlier on Thursday, the hospital said there were 'still 97 people inside the hospital, including 13 patients and injured individuals, and 84 medical staff members'. An Israeli airstrike on a house in central Gaza killed 22 people, including nine women and children, according to hospital officials. The airstrike hit a family home in Bureij, an urban refugee camp in central Gaza, they said. Israeli strikes in northern Gaza late Wednesday and early Thursday hit a house, killing eight people, including two women and three children, and a car in Gaza City, killing four, local hospitals said. The latest Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza reached 54,249 on Thursday, according to figures by the territory's health ministry. The majority of those killed are women and children, it says. The UN criticised Israel's announcement that it will establish 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing the decision as moving 'in the wrong direction'. A UN spokesperson repeated calls by UN chief António Guterres for Israel to 'cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.' A UK minister said Britain 'condemns these actions', adding that settlements are 'illegal under international law, further imperil the two-state solution, and do not protect Israel.' Italy has offered to treat a Palestinian child who survived an Israeli strike in Gaza in which nine of his siblings were killed. Adam Al-Najjar, 11, is in serious condition in Nasser hospital. A US charity has accused the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial Israeli-backed group that began distributing food in Gaza this week, of sending out photographs of deliveries containing its logo without permission. The aid bearing the Rahma logo, which was prominently displayed in a press packet distributed by GHF, suggested to some media outlets that the groups were official partners. Two people were killed in separate Israeli attacks on south Lebanon on Thursday, the country's health ministry said, in the latest flare-up despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The ministry said an Israeli strike hit a forested area in Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa, killing one man, while Israeli gunfire on the border town of Kfar Kila killed another. The Israeli army said that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Thursday. The missile interception comes two days after Israeli forces said it intercepted a missile and another projectile fire from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
