Hamas has declined to answer Israel’s updated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and is instead standing by the conditions outlined by international negotiators, according to a statement a Hamas representative gave to Reuters on Wednesday.
On March 29, Israeli officials confirmed they had submitted a modified offer to mediators. This new version was developed in close coordination with the United States and came after Hamas indicated acceptance of a ceasefire framework crafted by Egypt and Qatar.
Reuters examined a document that shows the mediators’ plan is consistent with the terms originally laid out on January 17. If accepted, it would result in a 50-day extension of the ceasefire period.
The deal requires that talks regarding the next stage of the agreement be finalized before the extended truce concludes. Among the key conditions is the release of Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier with American citizenship, on the first day the truce takes effect.
Hamas also committed to freeing four additional Israeli captives, releasing one every ten days. In exchange, Israel would need to release 250 convicted terrorists as well as 2,000 individuals detained after Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israel.
The proposal also includes a pause in Israeli military operations, the reopening of border crossings to expedite humanitarian assistance, and the reactivation of the Netzarim Corridor to permit vehicle travel between the northern and southern parts of Gaza.
Israel called off the prior truce and launched surprise strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Gaza in mid-March, following Hamas’s refusal to free additional hostages and its dismissal of a ceasefire plan put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later informed the press that President Donald Trump “fully supports” Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.
Trump’s National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, likewise voiced backing for Israel’s renewed offensive against the Hamas terror group.
“Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists. The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war,” Waltz wrote on X.
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