By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Hamas has formally responded to US envoy Steve Witkoff’s ceasefire proposal, backing the plan in principle while demanding amendments that include a permanent ceasefire.

The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas announced on Saturday that it had submitted its official response to the latest ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

In a statement, Hamas said the proposed deal includes the release of ten living Israeli captives held by the resistance, along with the handover of 18 bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian detainees.

The movement noted that its response was presented to the mediators “following a round of national consultations and in line with our responsibility toward our people and their suffering,” with the goal of achieving a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

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A Hamas official told Reuters that the group responded positively to the US proposal and is seeking to make certain amendments.

According to Al Jazeera Net, the American plan outlines a 60-day ceasefire, with President Donald Trump personally guaranteeing Israel’s commitment to halting hostilities. The deal also includes the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza via designated and approved channels, including the United Nations.

Israeli Response

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Israel has yet to receive an official response from Hamas. Citing unnamed officials, the channel described Hamas’s statement as “an attempt to force an end to the war.”

Israeli Army Radio said the statement did not make clear whether Hamas had fully accepted Witkoff’s plan or whether it was expressing reservations. It noted that the language used was vague and did not specify the conditions attached to the release of the ten prisoners and 18 bodies

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The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) cited a source who said that Hamas is demanding amendments, particularly regarding the end of the war and the phased release of Palestinian prisoners.

The source added that Israel now faces a decision: return to negotiations or escalate its military campaign in Gaza.

US Position

Speaking to Fox News, a US State Department spokesperson said President Trump was “very optimistic yesterday about a ceasefire in Gaza.” She stated that the president is committed to efforts aimed at ending what she described as “the massacre in Gaza.”

She added that both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio believe that Hamas “cannot continue to exist.”

Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth quoted government sources saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, had recently criticized his close ally and chief negotiator, Ron Dermer. Netanyahu reportedly accused Dermer of failing to anticipate a shift in US policy regarding Israel.

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According to the sources, Netanyahu expressed disappointment in internal meetings, believing Dermer had misread Washington’s changing stance.

Since October 2023, Israel has waged a devastating war on the Gaza Strip. According to international experts, the assault amounts to a campaign of extermination against the Palestinian population. 

More than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 124,000 wounded, and nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced.

(PC, AJA)