Hamas says it agreed to framework for permanent Gaza ceasefire with Witkoff

By admin On May 28, 2025

Hamas said that it agreed to a framework for a permanent Gaza ceasefire with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in a statement on Wednesday.

The agreement includes the release of “ten Israeli captives and a number of bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, under the guarantee of the mediators.”

The terrorist organization said the framework would achieve a permanent ceasefire, and a full withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza, along with a committee tasked with managing the affairs of Gaza.

“We are not aware of any agreement reached between Hamas and the US Hamas’s attempt to use the ‘Witkoff framework’ as a branded concept to promote their own vision will not succeed,” an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post in response to the statement.

“Israel has firmly rejected the ideas presented by Hamas in recent days — and so has the US. The only proposal on the table is Witkoff’s original proposal from the beginning of last week.”

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US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House last month. (credit: Leah Mills/Reuters)

In its statement, Hamas referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a deranged criminal that now poses a threat to global order and the system of international laws and human values,” and called on the international community to hold him accountable.

The new agreement is different from Witkoff’s previous proposal

Previously, Hamas had agreed to a proposal that would see the release of 10 hostages and 70 days of truce, which is different than Witkoff’s previous proposal that Israel had approved.

“[The proposal is] very far away from the outline that we are willing to negotiate on,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.

The proposal included the release of five living hostages in return for the following points: IDF withdrawing to its positions in Gaza from two months ago, allowing humanitarian aid into all areas of Gaza, continued talks for the release of remaining living and dead hostages, what was described as “some kind of American recognition of Hamas.”

The proposal was formulated by Hamas and passed on to the US through direct backchannel communications. The US then presented the proposal to Israel. Notably, the US didn’t say whether it supported the proposal or not.

JPost