Israel, US Slam Hamas for Countering Witkoff Proposal with New Demands

Hamas has responded to a US-brokered ceasefire and hostage release proposal with a list of new demands that Israeli and American officials say derail any chance of immediate progress. US envoy Steve Witkoff called the response “totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.”

The terror group’s revised terms include calls for extended truce timelines, specific US guarantees, delayed hostage releases, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. A Hamas official told AP the group wants the 60-day truce to include staggered hostage releases — a move clearly aimed at pressuring Israel into permanent concessions.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Hamas’s edits would severely limit Israel’s ability to resume military operations if ceasefire negotiations fail, effectively turning the proposal into a trap.

Hamas reportedly demanded a truce that could last up to seven years, a condition Israeli officials view as a non-starter.

“Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week,” said Witkoff. “That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal… and begin substantive negotiations in good faith.”

The proposal would return 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and withdrawing from certain areas of Gaza — all during a temporary truce period. Yet Hamas continues to stall.

Israeli officials say Hamas’s edits amount to an effective rejection. The Prime Minister’s Office said: “While Israel has agreed to the updated Witkoff framework for the release of our hostages, Hamas continues to cling to its refusal. It is unacceptable and sets the process back.”

Despite Hamas claims that it hasn’t formally rejected the deal, their demands — including a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire without real guarantees — are seen by Jerusalem as a deliberate obstruction.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz was blunt: “The Hamas murderers will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the ‘Witkoff Deal’ for the release of the hostages — or be annihilated.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar echoed the sentiment, saying Hamas is solely responsible for prolonging the war. “Hamas initiated this war with the 7/10 massacre and is responsible for its continuation by refusing to release our hostages and disarm,” he posted. “If France and the UK want to reach a ceasefire, pressure should be put on Hamas… instead of attacking Israel, which says Yes.”

Currently, 58 hostages are still in Gaza — at least 20 alive, 35 confirmed dead, and 3 with uncertain status.