A Palestinian group official has stated that a ceasefire proposal with Israel that was put forth by the administration of US President Donald Trump is “still under discussion” by Hamas, but in its current form it will only lead to “the continuation of killing and famine” in Gaza.
Israel “signed off” on the ceasefire proposal, according to White House Press Secretary Karolin Leavitt on Thursday, according to Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy, who had given it to Hamas for consideration.
Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, claimed that the agreement “does not meet any of our people’s demands,” with the most pressing one being to end the war.
Naim continued, “The movement’s leadership is fully responsible for the response to the proposal.”
The new proposal’s specifics have not been made public, but senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that crucially, it did not include commitments from Israel to end its occupation of Gaza, remove Israeli troops from the enclave, or allow aid to freely enter the war-torn territory.
The government of Israel has not yet confirmed in a statement that it approved the most recent proposal.
According to reports in Israeli media this week, Netanyahu reportedly told the families of Israeli prisoners still being held in Gaza that he is ready to proceed with Witkoff’s temporary ceasefire plan.
Netanyahu may be betting on the plan being rejected by Hamas so that he can paint them as the “bad guys” and keep the war, according to Akiva Eldar, an Israeli political analyst, who told Al Jazeera.
Eldar claimed that “it happened before, and Netanyahu blamed them”.
conflicting reports
Deep differences between the conditions for ending the conflict, including Israel’s demand that Hamas completely disarm and the Palestinian group’s demand that Israeli forces leave Gaza, have severely hindered efforts to restore a ceasefire there.
This most recent suggestion comes in response to conflicting reports from earlier this week, when Hamas claimed it had met Witkoff and had only waited for a “final response” after agreeing to a “general framework” for a ceasefire.
The group stated in a statement that “we have reached an agreement on a general framework with Witkoff that guarantees a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid.”
According to the Hamas statement, the agreement also reportedly stated that “the establishment of a professional committee to manage Gaza’s affairs is declared.”
Trump would reportedly guarantee the establishment of a ceasefire in 60 days and allow the Israeli troops to leave Gaza as part of the deal.
However, Witkoff later claimed that these conditions were in line with any offer he made and that what he had seen was “completely unacceptable.”
Witkoff’s unidentified US official, who spoke to Al Jazeera, also refuted the claim, calling them “inaccurate” and “disappointing.” Another unnamed official in an interview with The Times of Israel called the claim “propaganda” and “psychological warfare” and called it “propaganda.”
After breaking a six-week temporary ceasefire, Israel resumed its occupation of Gaza on March 18 with Netanyahu announcing that fighting had re-entered with “full force.”
Nearly 4, 000 people have been killed since the Israeli military’s continued assault on Gaza in recent months, raising the death toll overall in the area to more than 54, 000, according to health officials in Gaza.
UN officials claim that the Palestinian population is on the verge of famine because Israel has also imposed a deadly, months-long blockade on humanitarian aid.
Israel partially lifted its blockade on May 19 that allowed aid to trickle in from Gaza, but Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the United States described it as merely a “teaspoon” of what is required.
The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new and contentious organization that promised to provide aid to the besieged enclave, distributed life-saving supplies to crowds of hungry Palestinians this week.
Source: Aljazeera
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