Efforts to broker a temporary ceasefire in Gaza faced new hurdles on Saturday, as Hamas announced it is seeking amendments to a U.S.-backed truce proposal, prompting a strong rebuke from President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.
The ceasefire plan, which has been under negotiation for weeks, aims to bring a 60-day halt to hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
Under the proposal, Hamas would release 28 of the remaining 58 hostages in exchange for over 1,200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Humanitarian aid would also be allowed to flow more freely into the war-torn Gaza Strip.
While Hamas described its response to the plan as “positive,” the group emphasized the need for certain amendments. A key condition reiterated by Hamas is the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent end to the conflict—terms that Israel has consistently rejected.
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“This response aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to our people,” Hamas stated.
A Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that Hamas is pushing for the hostage releases to be phased over the 60-day truce and wants broader aid distribution across Gaza. Most critically, the group is demanding guarantees that the temporary truce will transition into a permanent ceasefire.
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Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, reacted swiftly and negatively. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Witkoff dismissed Hamas’ stance as “totally unacceptable” and accused the group of backtracking on progress.
“Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week,” he wrote.
President Trump, however, maintained an optimistic tone on Friday, stating he believed a ceasefire deal was close. The White House previously indicated that Israel had agreed to the proposed terms.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday that it had killed Mohammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, during a strike on a hospital in southern Gaza earlier in May. Yahya Sinwar is widely believed to have orchestrated the October 2023 attack on Israel.
Despite renewed airstrikes and ground operations, Israel has yet to issue a formal response to Hamas’ latest demands. The military has been targeting Hamas positions, including what it claims was a key weapons manufacturing facility.
The ongoing campaign has displaced millions, squeezing the population of Gaza into increasingly smaller pockets of land, especially around the southern city of Khan Younis. Israel’s blockade, now in its third month, has drawn mounting international criticism amid scenes of severe humanitarian distress.
Adding to the urgency, aid organizations reported on Saturday that several trucks carrying flour for bakeries under the World Food Programme were hijacked and looted by desperate civilians. With food shortages reaching a critical level, the WFP warned that “communities are starving and they are no longer willing to watch food pass them by.”
Gaza’s population, exceeding 2 million, continues to suffer from acute shortages of food, medicine, and basic supplies as negotiations teeter on the edge.
As the humanitarian crisis worsens and diplomatic efforts hang in the balance, all eyes remain on the next steps from Israel and the United States. Whether the ceasefire deal can be salvaged remains uncertain—but the stakes for peace and survival in Gaza have never been higher.
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