26-05-2025
Sources say Hamas agrees to ceasefire, deal but Witkoff rejects claim
Sources close to Hamas said on Monday that the Palestinian Islamist group has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire deal proposed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, though a report suggested otherwise.
The proposal provides for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 Israeli hostages and the entry of 1,000 aid trucks into Gaza.
In addition, according to the information provided, the United States would guarantee that comprehensive negotiations on a permanent ceasefire begin. Sources also said that Hamas had committed to halting "any development of its military capabilities."
Israel is demanding the group's complete disarmament.
However, a well-connected correspondent for the US news site Axios said Witkoff had rejected the reports.
Barak Ravid quoted Witkoff as saying that what he had seen from Hamas was "disappointing and completely unacceptable."
Witkoff reportedly called on Hamas to agree to the deal on the table, Ravid said in a report on the news portal walla. Israel has already agreed to the deal, Ravid added.
According to Israeli sources, at least 20 hostages are still being held alive in the Gaza Strip, with the fate of three further abductees unclear. In addition, the bodies of 35 hostages are being held.
