
A senior Hamas official has told international media that the Palestinian group will reject the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a deal to release hostages.
The proposal, presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, is backed by Israel and includes a 60-day ceasefire and a hostage exchange. However, Hamas says the plan falls short of its basic demands, including a cessation of hostilities and an end to the blockade.
Israel has been resuming its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza since mid-March, following the failure of a two-month ceasefire brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt. Since then, more than 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Also, around 600,000 people have been displaced within the territory, while a United Nations report warns that around 500,000 people face catastrophic levels of hunger in the coming months.
At a press conference in Washington, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt was asked if she could confirm a report by Al-Arabiya television, which suggested that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a new ceasefire agreement.
Leavitt confirmed that special envoy Witkoff and the US president had presented a proposal, but did not provide further details.