Hamas rejects US proposal for temporary Gaza ceasefire

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Hamas rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval of a US envoy’s proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan and Passover, insisting instead on the full implementation of a previously agreed truce.

The US proposal, presented by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, aims to extend the ceasefire until April and calls for the release of half the captives held in Gaza—both alive and deceased—on the first day of the extension. The remaining captives would be freed if a permanent ceasefire is reached. While Israel has accepted the proposal, emphasizing the need for additional time to negotiate a lasting truce, Hamas has yet to issue an official response.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi reaffirmed the group’s stance, rejecting an extension of the first-phase ceasefire and calling for immediate steps toward a permanent truce. “The only way to achieve stability in the region and ensure the return of prisoners is to fully implement the agreement, starting with the second phase,” Mardawi told AFP. The second phase, as outlined in previous negotiations, includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction efforts, and a prisoner exchange deal.