Posted on 05/29/25
| News Source: JPost
Hamas said on Thursday that it does not accept the outline for US envoy Steve Witkoff's ceasefire and hostage deal proposal at face value, and has demanded certain changes, according to sources familiar with the details.
A source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas feels deceived by the US administration, believing it has been "screwed over" with a pro-Israel proposal that does not guarantee an end to the war.
The proposal also requires all hostages to be returned to Israel within a week, leaving Hamas without further leverage.
A source close to Hamas told Walla that the group claimed the new proposal is more biased in favor of Israel than previous proposals and that Witkoff accepted most of the demands presented by Ron Dermer in a meeting with him on Tuesday.
Additionally, the source noted that the new proposal does not provide a clear American guarantee that the temporary ceasefire will lead to a permanent one. Furthermore, the proposal does not specify that if negotiations extend beyond 60 days, the ceasefire will also continue, and Israel will not be able to unilaterally violate it as it did in March, Walla quoted.