The night in the Middle East: No ceasefire in Gaza, instead mutual accusations

Hopes for a ceasefire in the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas group have been dashed for the time being. While the terrorist organization agreed to release some hostages in 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. Israel will continue its efforts to return the hostages and defeat Hamas, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated.

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 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.

The Islamist organization also wants Israel's military to withdraw more extensively from the sealed-off Gaza Strip after the ceasefire comes into effect, according to Hamas sources told dpa. The terrorist organization also wanted to stipulate that if no agreement on a permanent ceasefire is reached within 60 days, the temporary ceasefire will be automatically extended indefinitely, the US news site Axios quoted an informed source as saying.

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 told reporters 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.

While Israel has agreed to Witkoff's proposal for the release of the hostages, Hamas remains opposed, it said. Israel believes that 20 to 23 living hostages and at least 35 bodies of abducted people are currently still in the hands of the terrorist organization.

The war was triggered by the attack by Hamas and other Islamist terrorists on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage to Gaza. Since then, Israel's military has been fighting Hamas in the coastal region, which has since been largely destroyed. According to the Hamas-controlled Health Authority, more than 54,200 Palestinians have already been killed. The authority's figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel's military recently launched a major new offensive. Since then, dozens of deaths have been reported daily. Israel's stated goal is to completely crush Hamas and free the remaining hostages. Given the large number of deaths and the catastrophic humanitarian situation of the civilian population in Gaza, Israel's military actions have been met with massive criticism both at home and abroad.