In Israel, anticipation grew, and on Saturday afternoon Hamas announced it had conveyed its response to the mediators regarding the “new Witkoff framework” for a ceasefire and the return of hostages. The terrorist organization refrained from revealing specific details of its reply. U.S. Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff sharply criticized the group in his statement.
“Totally unacceptable”
“I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal.” Witkoff stated. “ It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.” According to him, Hamas must accept the framework presented by the Americans as a basis for talks that could begin as soon as next week.
“That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days, in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families,” Witkoff said. He added: “And through proximity talks, we can hold substantive, good-faith negotiations to try to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
Ynet reported that Hamas’s reply included several demands: a ceasefire lasting up to seven years, full withdrawal of the IDF from all areas under its control since March, cancellation of the new humanitarian aid model under which assistance is distributed by the GHF fund, and a return to the previous distribution arrangement.
@POTUS @VP @SecRubio @SecDef @CIADirector @DNIGabbard @SusieWiles @USAmbIsrael @StephenM @PressSec @StevenCheung47 @lightstonea @LindseyGrahamSC
I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.
Hamas should…
— Office of the Special Envoy to the Middle East (@SE_MiddleEast) May 31, 2025
Israeli officials: this is a new proposal
In its statement, the terrorist group claimed that “the proposal seeks to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and to ensure the flow of aid to our people and families in the Strip.”
Hamas later announced that the offer also includes “the release of 10 living hostages, along with 18 bodies of hostages, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.”
An Israeli official responded to Hamas’s message, saying the terrorist organization “effectively rejected the latest Witkoff framework and introduced a new proposal with its own terms.”
Any added conditions will require new negotiations
Earlier in the day, Arab media outlets—including Saudi networks—reported that Hamas is likely to agree to the framework only in principle, while attaching various reservations. Israeli sources clarified that any additional conditions would require renewed negotiations, and that a partial agreement is insufficient. The explicit demand is to accept the framework as is—without reservations.
Saudi news network Al-Hadath also reported that Palestinian factions in Gaza are pressuring Hamas to accept the framework, even if it does not fully meet their expectations. “This proposal could stop the hunger and displacement,” sources were quoted as saying. They noted that this is an opportunity to stop the war, even temporarily.
The updated framework
According to the details of the updated framework, it includes the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased in two phases within a single week—half on the first day, the rest on the seventh day. The agreement also includes a 60-day ceasefire, during which further negotiations would be held to end the fighting. In parallel, a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners would take place: 125 serving life sentences, 1,111 terrorists from Gaza, and 180 bodies of terrorists.
