Netanyahu’s Office Rejects Hamas Response to US Ceasefire Proposal as ‘Unacceptable’

Tel Aviv, MINA – The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that Hamas’ response to a ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was “unacceptable.” Anadolu Agency reported.

This response came after Hamas submitted its official position on the proposal through Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Netanyahu’s office declared that Hamas’ reply “sets the process back,” echoing earlier remarks from Witkoff, who also labeled the response “totally unacceptable.”

“I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward,” Witkoff said via social media platform X. He emphasized that the only way forward would be to close a 60-day ceasefire deal that would see the return of hostages both living and deceased and launch proximity talks aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire.

Hamas’ statement reportedly included demands for a permanent ceasefire, a complete Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and continued humanitarian aid access. According to media sources and insiders, Hamas proposed releasing 10 Israeli captives and the bodies of 18 others in return for a substantial number of Palestinian detainees, specifically 125 prisoners serving life sentences, 1,111 detainees from Gaza captured after October 7, 2023, and 180 bodies.

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The proposal outlined two-phase, simultaneous exchanges without public ceremonies. It also called for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid to be distributed by the UN and Red Crescent, and a commitment to uphold the ceasefire throughout the agreement and any extensions. The deal further included an Israeli military redeployment in Gaza, beginning from the north to the south, after completion of the exchange.

Since launching its offensive in October 2023, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have reportedly led to the deaths of nearly 54,400 Palestinians, predominantly women and children. Humanitarian organizations continue to warn of famine risks among the enclave’s more than 2 million residents. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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