Confusion Over Ceasefire Proposal as Gaza Death Toll Climbs and Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Conflicting statements from key players have cast doubt on a reported ceasefire agreement in Gaza, with Hamas sources saying the group has accepted a U.S.-brokered proposal, while American and Israeli officials firmly deny the deal exists in its presented form, Al Jazeera reports.
According to sources cited by Al Jazeera, Hamas has agreed to a draft deal discussed with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Doha, Qatar. The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 living captives held in Gaza in two phases, and the immediate entry of unconditional humanitarian aid. U.S. President Donald Trump, now acting as a guarantor, would oversee Israeli military withdrawal under the alleged terms.
However, Witkoff swiftly dismissed the claim, calling the details “completely unacceptable.” A U.S. official close to Witkoff said Hamas’s description of the deal was “inaccurate and disappointing,” while Israeli officials also denied the plan originated from the U.S., asserting that no Israeli government could accept such terms.
Amid the diplomatic uncertainty, Israel continued its intensive bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Medical officials reported at least 81 Palestinians, including numerous children, were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday alone.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 53,977 people have died since the start of the war, with 122,966 injured. Israel’s offensive resumed on March 18 following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire and the imposition of a complete blockade on the besieged enclave.
While Israel eased restrictions last week, allowing some 170 aid trucks to enter Gaza, humanitarian agencies warn the relief is insufficient. The United Nations has confirmed that over 95 percent of Gaza’s farmland is now unusable, with famine looming over the population of two million.
There has been no formal response from Hamas leadership following the American denial, though the group has previously stated its willingness to exchange all remaining captives for a permanent truce, and has agreed in principle to transfer administrative control of Gaza to an interim authority as part of an Arab League-backed $53 billion reconstruction plan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a recorded message on Monday, pledged to recover all 58 remaining Israeli captives—living and deceased—held by Hamas. He reiterated that Israel would continue its campaign “until total victory is achieved,” and laid out new conditions for ending the war, including:
The return of all captives
The complete demilitarization of Hamas
The exile of its political and military leadership
The implementation of a U.S.-proposed postwar plan for Gaza, previously criticized as a form of ethnic cleansing and later disavowed by the White House.
