A new proposal drafted by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has not yet been presented to Israel or Hamas, according to sources familiar with the details.
“A new proposal regarding the hostage deal will be sent, and I have a positive feeling about a temporary ceasefire in Gaza,” Witkoff said.
Israeli officials are “unaware of any agreement” over a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and the United States, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday in response to the Palestinian terrorist group’s announcement of an agreement with the US.
The source added that “Hamas’s attempt to use the ‘Witkoff framework’ as a branded concept to promote their own vision will not succeed.”
The new proposal is based on discussions held in Washington in recent days between Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Witkoff, as well as talks conducted by Bishara Bahbah in Qatar with senior Hamas officials. The previous proposal on the table offered the release of 10 live hostages on the first day of the deal in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire.
The main point of contention between the parties is what will happen on the final day of the ceasefire if no further agreement is reached. Hamas demands guarantees from the US administration that negotiations will continue beyond the 60th day, while Israel opposes this, stating: “If the deal does not continue, the war will resume.”
Sources familiar with the details told the Post: “There is a sense that a deal can be reached. Gaps remain, but they are bridgeable, and therefore, there is cautious optimism that the talks will conclude successfully.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas said it had agreed to a “framework” for a permanent Gaza ceasefire with Witkoff. The supposed agreement included the release of “10 Israeli captives and a number of bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, under the guarantee of the mediators.”
Witkoff said that he was optimistic about reaching a deal.
“I think that we are on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet that hopefully will be delivered later on today… I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, [a] temporary ceasefire,” he said.
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.
“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,” the source told the Post.
In its statement, Hamas referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a deranged criminal that now poses a threat to [the] 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 Post at the time.
The proposal included the release of five living hostages in return for the following points: the 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, and 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 back-channel communications. The US then presented the proposal to Israel. Notably, the US didn’t say whether it supported the proposal or not.
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