Hamas issued a new set of conditions and revisions today in response to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s latest ceasefire and hostage-release proposal, prompting Witkoff to condemn the group’s reply as “totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.”
A Hamas representative, who spoke with the Associated Press anonymously because of the sensitive nature of the discussions, said the revisions centered around “US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.”
One individual with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Times of Israel that one of Hamas’s conditions would make it more complicated for Israel to resume military operations if negotiations toward a permanent truce are not finalized after the 60-day pause. Unlike the U.S. outline, which scheduled hostage releases in two phases at the beginning of the truce, Hamas proposed spacing them out across the entire two-month period.
According to the source, this change was aimed at preventing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu from disengaging from the ceasefire negotiations once the initial hostages are released or from avoiding participation altogether, as had happened during a previous ceasefire attempt in January.
An Israeli official reported to The Times of Israel that Hamas’s demands also included a truce lasting as long as seven years.
Witkoff urged Hamas to embrace the American-led initiative. “Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week.”
He added: “That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days, in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families, and in which we can have at the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good faith to try to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
Under the proposal presented by Witkoff, both sides would use the two-month pause to finalize arrangements for Israel’s limited withdrawal from Gaza. The document also outlines a structure for negotiations during the truce to explore the possibility of ending the conflict altogether.
Another Israeli source, speaking on background, told reporters that Israel views Hamas’s reaction as tantamount to a rejection of the proposal.
Senior Hamas figure Basem Naim told Reuters that the group had not dismissed the offer and accused Israel of misrepresenting the situation. He said Witkoff’s comments reflected “unfair” treatment and “complete bias” in favor of Israel.
The most recent U.S. initiative was shared with Hamas earlier in the week after Israel’s chief negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, gave it the green light.
Arab intermediaries remain engaged in behind-the-scenes efforts to persuade Hamas to soften some of the proposed edits, according to a source involved in the dialogue.
In a public statement today, Hamas reiterated its core goals: a lasting ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and unfettered humanitarian aid access — all of which Israel has largely opposed up to this point.
In response, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement reaffirming its position. “While Israel has agreed to the updated Witkoff framework for the release of our hostages, Hamas continues to cling to its refusal.”
Echoing Witkoff’s language, the statement continued, “It is unacceptable and sets the process back.”
“Israel will continue its efforts to bring our hostages home and to defeat Hamas,” the statement declared.
According to Channel 12, Israeli officials involved in the negotiations told hostage families today that if enacted in full, the Witkoff plan would eventually result in the return of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas—not just a partial release.
At present, there are 58 hostages still in Gaza. The IDF has confirmed that at least 35 are deceased, while 20 are believed to still be alive. Israeli officials have voiced serious concern about the fate of three others whose status remains uncertain.
On Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters that a resolution between Israel and Hamas might be near. “We’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow, and we have a chance of that,” Trump said during remarks in the Oval Office.
When asked whether he thought Hamas would agree to the deal, Trump responded, “I think they want to — they want to get out of that mess.”
Sources with knowledge of the discussions said Hamas was dissatisfied with the proposal because it still grants Israel the ability to resume fighting once the ceasefire ends.
Although Netanyahu told hostage families last Thursday that he was open to the deal, he has not yet submitted it to the cabinet for approval. Several far-right members of his coalition have voiced strong opposition to the plan.
Defense Minister Yisroel Katz did not mince words. “The Hamas murderers will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the ‘Witkoff Deal’ for the release of the hostages — or be annihilated,” he said Friday.
Israel has maintained that dismantling Hamas remains one of the primary goals of its military campaign.
Efforts to reach an end to the nearly 20-month war have so far fallen short. Israel resumed combat operations in March after an earlier temporary truce collapsed. Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have reached critical levels, with the United Nations warning that the population faces an imminent risk of famine.
According to a verified copy of Witkoff’s latest proposal, Hamas would release 10 living Israeli hostages and return the remains of 18 others over the course of a 60-day truce.
In exchange, Israel would release 125 Palestinians convicted of terrorism and serving life sentences, 1,111 Gazans detained since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, and the bodies of 180 Palestinians currently in Israeli custody.
The IDF would also be required to withdraw from specific areas, though the exact locations and scope of that redeployment would be determined during future proximity talks.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar squarely placed the blame for the ongoing war on Hamas.
“Hamas initiated this war with the 7/10 massacre [and] is responsible for its continuation by refusing to release our hostages and disarm,” Sa’ar posted on X in English.
He added, “If France and the UK want to reach a ceasefire, pressure should be put on Hamas that continues to say No, instead of attacking Israel, which says Yes,” in reference to increasing criticism from European governments.
{Matzav.com}