Hamas responded to the U.S. ceasefire proposal, saying it was ready to release 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for many Palestinian prisoners, while requesting some amendments to the plan.
The organization repeated the demand for a permanent truce, and Israel completely withdrew from Gaza and ensured the continued flow of humanitarian aid. None of these are traded on the table.
Washington said this is neither a clear rejection nor a clear acceptance of U.S. terms.
Israel has not officially responded to Hamas' latest statement, but sources quoted in Israeli media said Hamas actually rejected the proposal.
Hamas said it had responded to Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump.
"I have received Hamas' response to the U.S. proposal. It's totally unacceptable and just takes us back. Hamas should accept the framework proposal we proposed as a basis for approaching negotiations, and we can start immediately this week.
“This is the only way we can end the 60-day ceasefire agreement in the coming days.”
Hamas, a forbidden terrorist organization in the United States, Britain and the European Union, insists on a "permanent ceasefire" and "complete evacuation" of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
The group demanded ongoing assistance to Palestinians living in the enclave and said the bodies of 10 living hostages and 18 dead hostages would be released in exchange for an “angreened number” of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
But Hamas now finds himself in the most complex and difficult position he has faced since the beginning of the war.
Under the worst conditions in history, with 2.2 million people under pressure and mediators, the campaign could not accept the U.S. proposal, which has rejected many times less than previous offers, the latest proposal in March.
At the time, Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and negotiator, made it clear that the movement would not agree with a partial deal that could not ensure the complete and permanent nature of the war.
However, Hamas also found himself unable to reject the latest US offering, fully aware that Israel is preparing to escalate its ground offensive on the ground in Gaza.
The movement lacks the ability to prevent or even severely resist such attacks.
In fact, Hamas fell into a reaction between these two realities, responding to the US proposal, rather than with an answer - but a whole new reaction.
All details of the U.S. plan have not been published and have not been confirmed, but have reportedly included these key points:
The terms provided are acceptable to Israel - the White House ensured this by obtaining Israel's approval before passing the proposal to Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unlikely to be willing to negotiate the changes Hamas wants.
He was under pressure to take the hostage home and said he was willing to accept a temporary ceasefire.
But while Hamas' temporary truce was the way to end the war, the Israeli government has insisted on returning to the right to hostilities.
Netanyahu said that when Hamas "looked down his weapons and was no longer in the government), the war would end.
Defense Minister Israel Katz is more blunt this week. "The Hamas murderer will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the 'Witkoff Agreement' for the release of the hostages - or be annihilated," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said 60 people were killed and 284 others were injured in the past 24 hours.
It added that this does not include the figures of hospitals located in the Northern Gaza Strip province due to difficulties in accessing the region.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023 in response to Hamas' cross-border attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage.
According to Hamas-Royal Ministry of Health, at least 54,381 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, including 4,117.