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Israel Backs New US-Brokered Ceasefire Proposal; Hamas Considers Response

30 May 202529 views0

Israel has agreed to a new United States proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, the White House confirmed on Thursday.

The proposal, brokered by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, seeks to pause the fighting and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Israel had “backed and supported” the initiative. In contrast, Hamas has responded cautiously, indicating that it will study the proposal in detail before offering a formal response.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said that the proposal did not address key Palestinian demands, such as halting the war and alleviating the ongoing famine. However, he added that Hamas would consider it “with all national responsibility.”

Previously, Hamas had agreed in principle to a broad framework with the US aimed at establishing a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an influx of humanitarian aid, and a transfer of governance to an independent Palestinian committee.

The outlines of the new proposal include:

A 60-day pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas
The release by Hamas of 10 living hostages and several bodies during the truce
In exchange, Israel would release over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 serving long sentences
Israeli forces would withdraw to positions they held during the last ceasefire in March
Daily entry of hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza to address severe food shortages and famine risks
A commitment to serious negotiations for a permanent truce, with assurances that Israel would not resume hostilities immediately after the hostage release

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains determined to continue military operations until all hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled or exiled.

Hamas, meanwhile, insists it will only release hostages in return for a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal. Currently, Hamas is holding 58 hostages, with about a third believed to be alive.

Efforts to reconcile the differing positions—Israel’s preference for a temporary ceasefire and Hamas’s insistence on a permanent one—have so far stalled, despite ongoing mediation by the US, Egypt and Qatar.

Since the conflict began with Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble, and roughly 90% of its population has been displaced.

The chances of a broader resolution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain remote. Israel’s current government opposes Palestinian statehood in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, while internal Palestinian divisions have further weakened the prospects for peace.

Left-leaning publications have emphasised that the proposal does not meet key conditions for a just ceasefire, whereas right-leaning outlets largely placed responsibility for the ongoing conflict on Hamas.