Hamas Seeks Amendments To Gaza Ceasefire Proposal But US Envoy Calls It ‘Unacceptable’

May 31, 2025 | 11:11 PM

A man walks beneath an entrance archway of a Palestinian Authority’s Legislative Council building amid a makeshift displacement camp in Gaza City, on May 12, 2025. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says on May 12 that the release of a US-Israeli hostage announced by Hamas does not lead to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip or the release of Palestinian detainees. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hamas is seeking amendments to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza. But U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff calls the Hamas response “totally unacceptable.” The latest friction in negotiations comes as the fighting nears 20 months of war, and as desperation grows among hungry Palestinians and relatives of hostages in Gaza. A Hamas statement says 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 would be released. Witkoff instead describes a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages and return half of those who have died. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza blocked and emptied dozens of aid trucks.