New US ceasefire proposal for Gaza falls short of key demands, Hamas says

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - GAZA — Hamas has said it's reviewing the latest US proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release deal, though reports suggest the Palestinian armed group may reject it.

Full details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, but senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the proposal favored the Israeli position and failed to meet any of Hamas' key demands, chiefly a commitment from Israel to end the war, withdraw its forces from Gaza and permit unrestricted aid access to the territory.

It comes after the White House said Israel had accepted the proposal.

"The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine," said Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official.

He added that the proposed deal "does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine."

Nonetheless, he said the group would study the proposal "with all national responsibility."

Though US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has not publicly disclosed the contents of the ceasefire proposal, a Hamas official and an Egyptian mediator confirmed key elements of the plan.

The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day pause in fighting, with guarantees of serious negotiations toward a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after hostages are released, as it did following the March ceasefire.

Israeli forces would withdraw to the positions they held before that truce collapsed.

In return, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies over the course of the pause, in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including 100 serving long sentences for deadly attacks.

The deal would also allow hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza daily. Aid groups warn that the nearly three-month Israeli blockade - only slightly eased in recent days - has brought much of Gaza's population to the brink of famine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war in Gaza will not end until all hostages are freed and Hamas is either dismantled or forced into exile.

He has also stated that Israel intends to retain indefinite security control over Gaza and support what he calls the "voluntary emigration" of a significant portion of its population.

These plans have been widely condemned by Palestinians and much of the international community, with experts warning that forced displacement would likely violate international law.

Hamas, for its part, has insisted it will only release the remaining hostages -- its key source of leverage -- in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the release of more Palestinian prisoners, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The group has also expressed willingness to hand over governance to a committee of politically independent Palestinians tasked with overseeing reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued its bombardment of the strip overnight, issuing forced displacement orders for five more areas in northern Gaza on Friday morning.

Israeli airstrikes on the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya killed at least 12 people, including three women, according to Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were taken.

One strike reportedly hit a home, killing six members of the same family, while additional strikes targeted people in the street, the hospital said.

Palestinians are also still struggling to access aid, as chaos erupts at food distribution sites amid reports of Israeli smoke bombs and gunfire.

Aid distribution hubs set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are guarded by private security contractors, with Israeli forces positioned nearby.

However, the UN and other humanitarian groups have rejected the new system, arguing it is inadequate to meet the needs of Gaza's population and allows Israel to use food as a means of control. — Euronews