By SAMY MAGDY and JOSEPH KRAUSS, Related Press
Israel has accepted a brand new U.S. proposal for a brief ceasefire with Hamas, the White Home mentioned Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism earlier this week about brokering an settlement to halt the Israel-Hamas warfare and return extra of the hostages captured within the assault that ignited it.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters that Israel “backed and supported” the brand new proposal.
Hamas officers gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, however mentioned they needed to review the proposal extra carefully earlier than giving a proper reply.
“The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine,” Bassem Naim, a high Hamas official, instructed The Related Press. He mentioned it “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.”
Nonetheless, he mentioned the group would research the proposal “with all national responsibility.”
Hamas had beforehand mentioned it had agreed with Witkoff on a “general framework” of an settlement that might result in an enduring ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an inflow of support, and a switch of energy from the group to a politically impartial committee of Palestinians.
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group by the USA, Canada and the European Union.
Right here’s what’s identified in regards to the rising negotiations that purpose to result in an prolonged truce within the warfare in trade for hostages that stay in captivity:
What do Israel and Hamas need?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to finish the warfare till all of the hostages are launched and Hamas is both destroyed or disarmed and despatched into exile. He has mentioned Israel will management Gaza indefinitely and facilitate what he refers to because the voluntary emigration of a lot of its inhabitants.
Palestinians and many of the worldwide group have rejected plans to resettle Gaza’s inhabitants, a transfer consultants say would doubtless violate worldwide regulation.
Hamas has mentioned it can solely launch the remaining hostages — its solely bargaining chip — in return for extra Palestinian prisoners, an enduring ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. It has provided to surrender energy to a committee of politically impartial Palestinians that would oversee reconstruction.
Hamas remains to be holding 58 hostages. Round a 3rd are believed to be alive, although many concern they’re in grave hazard the longer the warfare goes on. 1000’s of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed its airstrikes and floor operations after ending a ceasefire in March.
The dispute over whether or not there must be a brief ceasefire to launch extra hostages — as Israel has referred to as for — or a everlasting one — as Hamas desires — has bedeviled talks brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar for greater than a 12 months and a half, and there’s no indication it has been resolved.
Israeli mounted police disperse demonstrators blocking a highway throughout a protest marking 600 days since Israeli hostages had been taken by Hamas into the Gaza Strip, name for his or her launch and an finish to the warfare, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday, Could 28, 2025. (AP Photograph/Ohad Zwigenberg)
What’s the newest ceasefire proposal?
Witkoff has not publicized his newest proposal, however a Hamas official and an Egyptian official independently confirmed a number of the particulars. They spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the delicate talks.
They are saying it requires a 60-day pause in preventing, ensures of significant negotiations resulting in a long-term truce and assurances that Israel won’t resume hostilities after the discharge of hostages, because it did in March. Israeli forces would pull again to the positions they held through the ceasefire Israel ended that month.
Hamas would launch 10 dwelling hostages and quite a lot of our bodies through the 60-day pause in trade for greater than 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, together with 100 serving lengthy sentences after being convicted of lethal assaults.
Every day, lots of of vehicles carrying meals and humanitarian support can be allowed to enter Gaza, the place consultants say an almost three-month Israeli blockade — barely eased in latest days — has pushed the inhabitants to the brink of famine.
Palestinian girls wait with their sick youngsters for medical care in an overcrowded clinic in Gaza Metropolis, Wednesday, Could 28, 2025. (AP Photograph/Jehand Alshrafi)
Why is it so arduous to finish the warfare?
Hamas-led combatants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. Greater than half the hostages have been launched in ceasefires or different offers. Israel has rescued eight and recovered dozens of our bodies.
Israel’s ensuing navy marketing campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, largely girls and kids, in response to the Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless had been civilians or combatants.
The offensive has destroyed huge areas of Gaza and displaced round 90% of its inhabitants of roughly 2 million Palestinians, with lots of of 1000’s dwelling in squalid tent camps and unused colleges.
Hamas has been vastly depleted militarily and misplaced almost all of its high leaders in Gaza. It probably fears that releasing all of the hostages with out securing a everlasting ceasefire would enable Israel to launch an much more devastating marketing campaign to in the end destroy the group.
Israel fears {that a} lasting ceasefire and withdrawal now would go away Hamas with vital affect in Gaza, even when it surrenders formal energy. With time, Hamas may be capable to rebuild its navy may and finally launch extra Oct. 7-style assaults.
Netanyahu additionally faces political constraints: His far-right coalition companions have threatened to carry down his authorities if he ends the warfare too quickly. That would go away him extra susceptible to prosecution on longstanding corruption expenses and to investigations into the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 assault.
A broader decision to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian battle seems extra distant than ever.
The Palestinians are weak and divided, and Israel’s present authorities — essentially the most nationalist and spiritual in its historical past — is against Palestinian calls for for a state in Gaza, the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, territories Israel occupied within the 1967 Mideast warfare.
The final critical peace talks broke down greater than 15 years in the past.
Magdy reported from Cairo. AP writers Fatma Khaled in Cairo and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed reporting.
Initially Printed: Could 29, 2025 at 7:33 AM EDT
