Hamas Counters U.S.-Backed Ceasefire Deal, Demands Stronger Assurances From Washington

Hamas has reportedly issued a counteroffer to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, demanding greater guarantees that Israel will not resume military operations in Gaza if a permanent truce is not finalized within the proposed 60-day pause.

The proposal, spearheaded by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, was presented to Hamas on Thursday and calls for a two-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of all 10 remaining living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased captives, according to the New York Post. (RELATED: Israeli Government Officially Approves Ceasefire Agreement)

BREAKING: Hamas says it has submitted its response to US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal.

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In return, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,111 others detained since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. Additionally, the remains of 180 deceased Palestinians held in Israel would be returned.

A source told The Times of Israel that Hamas’s response, delivered Saturday, seeks U.S. assurances that Israel cannot easily resume fighting if no long-term agreement is reached during the ceasefire. The counterproposal is reportedly designed to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from walking away from the deal after the initial hostage release.

Hamas also requested an extended timeline for the release of hostages and prisoners, the Post reported. A spokesperson for Witkoff declined to comment on ongoing developments.

Hamas official Basem Naiem told the Jerusalem Post that the group felt “screwed over” by the latest U.S. proposal. The unresolved status of Israel’s military posture at the end of the 60-day truce remains a major sticking point.

Netanyahu previously said that the Israel Defense Forces would “take over all areas” of Gaza while also acknowledging the need to prevent famine conditions for civilians. “People simply won’t support us,” he said in a May 22 video on Telegram. “We won’t be able to complete the mission of victory.”

Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah has been brokering the talks in Doha, Qatar, on behalf of the Trump administration, CNN reported. A prior truce before Trump took office in January led to a 42-day pause in fighting and the release of 33 Israeli hostages — eight of whom were already deceased — alongside nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

The path forward remains uncertain as U.S., Israeli, and Qatari negotiators weigh Hamas’s revised terms.