American envoy call Hamas replies to the weapons proposal 'unacceptable' | Today news

Hamas said it submitted an answer to the US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, but the envoy of Trump administration, Steve Witkoff, quickly rejected it as “completely unacceptable”. “Hamas must accept the framework proposal we have presented,” Witkoff said in a post on X on Saturday. He added that further discussions about a ceasefire “could start immediately this week.” The main differences between the American proposal and the reaction of Hamas appear to be the duration of any ceasefire and the extent to which Israeli forces withdraw. Earlier in the day, Hamas responded to the US proposal with changes aimed at providing a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensuring the flow of assistance to our people and our families in the strip. ” As part of the agreement, Hamas said in a statement that he would release ten living Israeli prisoners and return 18 bodies, in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners, according to the statement. The group did not specify whether it accepted or rejected the proposal. Israel earlier accepted the US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, which Witkoff said on social media a ceasefire of 60 days and the release of half the living hostages and half the dead. Israeli officials familiar with the case said the proposal will also restore the distribution of assistance to the United Nations to the Palestinian area. Hamas, named by the US, European Union and many other countries as a terrorist organization, seeks changes to some points, including the timing of the hostage release, the delivery of help and withdrawal of Israeli forces, reports the Associated Press, citing an unidentified official. An earlier ceasefire ended in mid -March and the talks on a new ceasefire came to a standstill because Hamas demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while the Israeli government wants the group to disarm and dissolve. International pressure to stop the protracted war has grown as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. Relieving agencies say more than 2 million civilians in the ruined coastal singles were brought to the brink of famine by Israel’s 11-week blockade. While food deliveries have resumed this week under the protection of a Swiss non-profit Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the launch by delays and chaos has been harassed. Although it is unclear whether Israel will accept any new conditions or amendments to the US proposal, at least some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have expressed optimism about the prospects for a ceasefire. The Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, spoke to Channel 12 TV on Saturday. With the help of Dan Williams. © 2025 Bloomberg MP This article was generated from an automatic news agency feed without edits to text.