Hamas only partially agrees to a US plan for a ceasefire – unacceptable for the US and Israel.

Hopes for a ceasefire in the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas have been dashed for the time being. Although the terrorist organization agreed to release some hostages in its response to a ceasefire proposal by US mediator Steve Witkoff, it imposed further conditions. The US and Israel promptly rejected Hamas's response: It was "completely unacceptable," Witkoff wrote on X. According to media reports, he also presented a proposal for a deal in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, to which Tehran intends to respond "appropriately."

Hamas must accept the current proposal for a ceasefire initially limited to 60 days, after which further talks toward a permanent end to the war in Gaza could begin as early as next week, Witkoff wrote on X. However, the plan does not contain a guarantee for a permanent cessation of hostilities—although this has been a central demand of Hamas to date. The Islamists are apparently sticking to this. "Guarantees against the resumption of aggression" were conveyed to Witkoff as part of the response, the dpa news agency learned from Hamas sources.

The US proposal calls for the release of 10 hostages from the Gaza Strip and the transfer of the remains of 18 other abducted people. In return, Palestinian prisoners are to be released from Israeli jails. While Hamas is willing to accept the core of the proposal, the terrorist organization is also imposing further conditions.

The Islamists are demanding a longer scheduling of hostage releases than envisaged in Witkoff's plan, according to sources within the terrorist organization, according to information provided to dpa. This change is intended to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from breaking off talks on a permanent ceasefire after the release of the first ten hostages, as he did during the previous ceasefire in January, the Times of Israel reported, citing a source involved in the talks.

Hamas also wants the Israeli military to withdraw more comprehensively from the sealed-off Gaza Strip after the ceasefire comes into effect, according to Hamas sources told dpa. The Islamists also wanted to stipulate that if no agreement on a permanent ceasefire is reached within 60 days, the temporary ceasefire will automatically be extended indefinitely, the US news site Axios quoted an informed source as saying. Hamas has demanded a ceasefire lasting up to seven years, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel.

The main point of contention, however, is the Islamists' demand for US guarantees to end the war, Axios reported. However, the Israeli government of Prime Minister Netanyahu firmly rejects a ceasefire that would end the war. Critics accuse it of wanting to continue the war in the Gaza Strip indefinitely for domestic political reasons.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim emphasized in a statement that they had not rejected Witkoff's proposal. Rather, Israel's response to the US proposal was inconsistent with what Hamas had agreed to. Witkoff's attitude toward the Palestinian organization was unfair and showed a "complete bias" against Israel.

US President Donald Trump had raised hopes for an early ceasefire on Friday. The warring parties were very close to an agreement, Trump declared at the White House. There was a chance. What happens next remains to be seen. As Witkoff explained, Hamas's response was "completely unacceptable and a step backward," Netanyahu's office said.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X that Hamas started the war with the massacre of October 7, 2023, and is responsible for its continuation because it refuses to release the hostages and lay down its weapons. Israel estimates that there are still 20 to 23 living hostages and at least 35 bodies of displaced people in the Gaza Strip.

For some time, there has been speculation that Israel may also be preparing an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel fears that Tehran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb that would threaten the Jewish state's very existence. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) determined that the amount of nearly weapons-grade uranium produced in Iran has increased by almost 50 percent within a short period of time. Following the report, Netanyahu called on the international community to act swiftly.

US special envoy Witkoff has now presented "a detailed and acceptable proposal" to the leadership in Tehran, the US news site Axios and other media outlets quoted Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt as saying. It is in Iran's best interest to accept the US proposal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said his counterpart in Oman had presented him with "elements of a US deal" in Tehran. Aragchi wrote on the X platform that they would respond "appropriately" and in accordance with Iran's "national interests."

Among other things, the US has proposed a regional consortium to enrich uranium for civilian purposes under the supervision of the IAEA and the US, Axios reported. Another idea is that the US recognizes the Islamic Republic's right to enrich uranium, while Tehran completely suspends its uranium enrichment, it added.

According to the IAEA report, Iran now possesses nearly 409 kilograms of uranium with a purity of 60 percent. About 42 kilograms would be sufficient for a nuclear weapon if this uranium were enriched just a little further to 90 percent, according to diplomatic sources. Iran dismissed the report as politically motivated. According to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, the Foreign Ministry accused Israel of sending the IAEA forged documents that form the basis of the report.