U.S. envoy rejects Hamas ceasefire proposal as 'unacceptable'

Hamas leaders said they were reviewing a ceasefire deal proposed by the Trump administration that had already received Israel's stamp of approval.

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on Saturday rejected a Hamas response to a ceasefire proposal as “totally unacceptable” and said the militant group should accept the proposal he has put forward.

The rejection, issued in a statement on X Saturday afternoon, followed Hamas’ announcement that it had submitted its response to the ceasefire proposal, offering to release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners.

“I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward,” wrote Witkoff, whom Trump named as envoy in November after the election.

“Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week,” Witkoff wrote, adding that compliance from Hamas is the “only way” to finalize a 60-day ceasefire deal.

The back-and-forth marks the latest development in efforts to reach a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023.