Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families that his government accepted United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a hostage and Gaza ceasefire deal, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid reported on Thursday, citing a person who attended the meeting. The reporter previously stated that Hamas, on the other hand, was not satisfied with the proposed deal, as the militant group thought the proposal shifted in Israel’s favor. The proposal reportedly does not guarantee that a temporary ceasefire will lead to a permanent one. Netanyahu faced pressure in Israel to accept the deal, as opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the Israeli prime minister of destroying the country’s ties with the US and urged him to immediately accept Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire.
Hamas: New proposal doesn’t meet our demands
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Thursday in a statement that the latest ceasefire and hostage deal proposal, put forth by United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, doesn’t meet “any of our people’s demands.” “The occupation’s response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine [even during the temporary ceasefire],” he commented. Naim added, however, that even with this being the case, the militant group is still “studying the proposal.” Meanwhile, the media reported that the Israeli side accepted the proposed agreement.