Unacceptable Response: Hamas' Take on US Ceasefire Plan for Gaza
Hamas' response to the proposed US ceasefire is deemed entirely unacceptable, according to Witkoff. - Hamas rejection of the U.S. ceasefire proposal is deemed unacceptable, according to Witkoff.
In an indirect message, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff penned down, "This is a major setback and utterly unacceptable." The critique was directed at Hamas, a Palestinian organization governing the Gaza Strip, in response to their stance on the US' proposed ceasefire.
The ceasefire proposal serves as a potential basis for initiating ceasefire negotiations as early as next week. A 60-day truce seems imminent, with the hope of returning half of living captives and deceased to their families during this period. This truce lays the groundwork for meaningful negotiations aimed at a long-lasting ceasefire[1].
On Thursday, Israel agreed to the US' ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip[2]. Despite initial criticism from Hamas, they announced on Saturday their willingness to relinquish ten living hostages and 18 corpses as part of the planned ceasefire agreement. In exchange, Israel is speculated to release Palestinian prisoners[2].
Information from Hamas sources indicates that the Palestinian group has communicated their official written response to the US proposal[3]. The response is reported to be favorable but includes conditions. They require a guarantee of a permanent ceasefire and total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip[3]. Israel, however, refuses negotiations without Hamas' expulsion from the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territory's disarmament[3].
Since the conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, Hamas has launched substantial attacks on Israel, leading to Israel's large-scale military operations in the Palestinian territory[2]. As of now, 57 hostages are held by the Islamists, with reports suggesting that 34 of them are dead[2].
Hamas
- Advocates for comprehensive withdrawal of Israeli forces and security assurances
Israel
- Demands complete disarmament and dismantling of Hamas' governing structures
- Views Hamas' demands as unreasonable given the current situation
US
- Proposes a temporary 60-day ceasefire to alleviate humanitarian crises
- Criticizes Hamas' proposed amendments to the ceasefire terms, finding them unacceptable
- The US President Donald Trump, following the unacceptable response from Hamas towards his ceasefire plan for Gaza, faces a challenging political situation in his negotiations with Israel and Hamas, which is a major war-and-conflicts and general-news topic.
- The ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas, initially met with criticism from Hamas, has now evolved with Hamas showing willingness to relinquish hostages, signifying a shift in the politics of the Gaza Strip, making it a significant item under the war-and-conflicts and general-news categories.
