A ceasefire plan submitted by the administration of US President Donald Trump to Hamas remains under discussion but, in its current form, would not address the ongoing slaughter and famine in Gaza, as stated by an official from the Palestinian group. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Israel has endorsed the ceasefire proposal, which has been forwarded to Hamas for consideration by Steve Witcoff, the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy.
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, informed Reuters that the proposal fails to address the people’s primary demand for a halt to the conflict. Though Hamas is reviewing the proposal responsibly, it does not meet necessary conditions such as ending the war and allowing unhindered access to aid for Gaza. The Israeli government has not confirmed approval of this plan.
Israeli media reports indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the families of captives in Gaza about his readiness to proceed with a temporary ceasefire. Akiva Eldar, an Israeli political analyst, suggests that Netanyahu might be strategizing that Hamas will reject the proposal to portray them negatively and prolong the conflict.
Ceasefire efforts have been complicated by significant disagreements regarding the terms for ending the conflict. Hamas has claimed to have an agreement on a ceasefire framework that includes a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and free entry of humanitarian aid. However, Witкоff has denied this claim, calling the Hamas statement “completely unacceptable.” The US and Israeli governments also dismissed Hamas’ claims.
Israel recommenced its military activities in Gaza on March 18, after breaking a temporary ceasefire. The conflict has resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths and a total death toll exceeding 54,000 in the enclave. Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid has pushed the population to the brink of famine, while a partial lifting of the blockade on May 19 has been described as insufficient by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Chaotic scenes emerged this week as starving Palestinians attempted to access life-saving supplies distributed by the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/30/hamas-says-us-ceasefire-proposal-means-continuation-of-killing-in-gaza?traffic_source=rss
