Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal amidst US and Israeli rejection

According to sources from Al Jazeera, Hamas has reportedly agreed to a ceasefire proposal for Gaza put forward by the United States. However, a US official denied this claim, describing the ongoing negotiations as “unacceptable” and “disappointing.” Israeli authorities also rejected the proposal, stating no government in Israel would accept it, as reported by Reuters.

The conflicting statements emerged while Israeli forces intensified their bombardment of Gaza, where Palestinians face severe starvation and restricted humanitarian aid. Medical reports indicate that at least 81 people, including many children, were killed in attacks on a single day.

Sources from Al Jazeera revealed that Hamas and the US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met in Doha, Qatar, and agreed in principle to a draft deal involving a 60-day ceasefire and the staged release of 10 living captives held in Gaza. The deal also included guarantees from former US President Donald Trump for Israeli troop withdrawal and unrestricted humanitarian aid from the outset.

Nevertheless, Witkoff dismissed the idea that the proposal was accepted by Hamas, calling it “completely unacceptable.” Another US insider close to Witkoff characterized Hamas’s claims as “inaccurate” and the offer as “disappointing.”

Reports from Washington noted the US proposal is a temporary ceasefire allowing partial return of captives, with hopes it could pave the way for permanent peace negotiations. Hamas has not commented on this proposal.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to recovering all 58 Israeli captives held in Gaza, emphasizing the government’s persistence to achieve this goal. Netanyahu did not acknowledge the ceasefire proposal.

Netanyahu has also set new conditions for ending the conflict, demanding the return of all captives, Hamas’s demilitarization, exile of its leaders, and implementation of Trump’s controversial Gaza plan criticized widely as ethnic cleansing and partially retracted by the White House.

Hamas, on the other hand, offers to release all captives in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and is open to an interim government controlling Gaza, aligned with an Arab League-backed reconstruction plan worth $53 billion. However, Hamas rejects displacement of Palestinians and refuses to disarm or exile its leaders, considering these conditions “red lines” while Israeli occupation persists.

In Gaza, Palestinians endure relentless bombardment and blockade, leaving the population on the verge of famine. Many are desperate for any agreement that might end the suffering, with hope pinned on negotiations in Doha.

The conflict reignited on March 18 after a total blockade was imposed on Gaza. Since then, at least 3,822 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 54,000 injured. Although Israel has recently allowed limited aid into Gaza, humanitarian organizations warn that the supplies fall far short of what is needed for the two million residents surviving under siege.