President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff blasted Hamas‘s response to the proposed ceasefire brokered by the United States in the war in Gaza.
Hamas, the terrorist group that sparked the conflict in Gaza with its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks against Israel, said Saturday it had responded to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. The New York Times reported Hamas was seeking a more permanent end to the conflict and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Witkoff said Hamas’s response was “totally unacceptable” in a post on X Saturday.
“I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward. Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week,” the special envoy said.
“That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families and in which we can have at the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good-faith to try to reach a permanent ceasefire,” Witkoff added.
The U.S.-backed proposal would reportedly have created a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas releasing 10 hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,000 Gazans detained since the war began.
TRUMP TEASES ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE COULD BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Trump expressed optimism on Friday in the Oval Office that a ceasefire deal could be worked out, saying the two sides of the conflict were “very close” to an agreement.
“They’re very close to an agreement on Gaza,” Trump said. “And we’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow.”