‘Totally Unacceptable’: US Envoy Says Hamas’ Reply To Gaza Truce Proposal ‘Only Takes Us Backward’

Last Updated:June 01, 2025, 08:36 IST

Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff criticised the Hamas' response to US truce proposal in Gaza and said that it "takes us backward".

US Envoy criticises Hamas' response to US truce proposal in Gaza (AP Image)

Hamas has said that it responded to the US proposal for a truce in Gaza, however, the Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff immediately rejected it as “totally unacceptable", stressing that it “only takes us backward".

“I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward. Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week," Witkoff posted on X.

The main differences between the US proposal and Hamas’s response seem to be about how long the truce would last and how far Israeli troops would pull back.

Earlier in the day, Hamas replied to the US plan with some changes. Their response focused on trying “to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensure the flow of aid to our people and our families in the Strip."

As part of the agreement, Hamas said in a statement that it would release 10 living Israeli prisoners and also return 18 bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners. However, it did not clearly state whether or not it was accepting the proposal.

Israel had previously agreed to the US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, which, according to Witkoff, included a 60-day truce and the release of half the living hostages and half of the bodies of deceased hostages. Israeli officials also said the plan would allow the United Nations to resume leading aid distribution in the Palestinian territory.

Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US, European Union, and several other countries, is asking for changes to parts of the proposal — mainly about when hostages would be released, how and when aid would be delivered, and the timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal, according to the Associated Press, which cited an unnamed official.

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News world ‘Totally Unacceptable’: US Envoy Says Hamas’ Reply To Gaza Truce Proposal ‘Only Takes Us Backward’