U.S.-supported truce proposal falls short of Hamas's requirements, according to the group
In Gaza City, negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continue, with the White House confirming that a proposal has been submitted to the Palestinian militant group with Israeli approval. However, Hamas has expressed dissatisfaction with the terms, citing unmet demands.
Originally, Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, potentially extendable to 70 days, as part of a deal that would see the release of 10 living hostages and nine bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during the first week.
However, Hamas sources claim that the new proposal is a retreat from the previous one, which included an American commitment to permanent ceasefire negotiations. The group has agreed to this deal in principle but is pushing for a phased release of hostages and further guarantees for a permanent end to the conflict.
Negotiations to end over 19 months of war have so far been unsuccessful. Israel resumed operations in Gaza in March after a brief truce, following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the ongoing conflict.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with food security experts warning of starvation for one in five people. Israel has intensified its military offensive, and recent attacks have killed 54 people, including 23 in a strike on a home in Al-Bureij and two near a U.S.-backed aid center in Morag axis.
The aid center, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has drawn criticism from the United Nations and the European Union due to its perceived bypassing of the longstanding U.N.-led system in the territory. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. has accused the U.N. of trying to block the work of the foundation.
Israeli military operations have also targeted medical facilities in Gaza, with Al-Awda Hospital reporting a forced evacuation of patients and medical staff. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reports that at least 3,986 people have been killed since Israel ended the ceasefire on March 18, with most civilian casualties.
Elsewhere, an "employee of a contracting company" was killed in northern Gaza on May 29, while Israel intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on the same day, in an attack claimed by the country's Iran-backed Huthi rebels.
The general-news has reported ongoing politics between Israel and Hamas, with negotiations for a ceasefire persisting despite disagreements over terms. Hamas is pushing for a phased release of hostages and further guarantees for a permanent end to the conflict, after expressing dissatisfaction with the initial proposal that included an American commitment to permanent ceasefire negotiations.
