Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposed by Witkoff

Hamas has agreed to a proposal presented by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff for a ceasefire in Gaza that will halt hostilities in the Strip, a source close to Hamas told Xinhua on Monday.

Reuters quoted an unnamed Palestinian official who claimed that Hamas had accepted a proposal from Witkoff.

According to the Times of Israel, the deal being discussed would see around 10 living hostages and 10 bodies of hostages, along with hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, released in two stages during a roughly two-month ceasefire. During that time, Israel and Hamas would hold negotiations on the terms of a permanent truce, with the US providing guarantees that it will keep Israel at the table. Israel refused to engage in those talks in the previous deal signed in January, leading to its collapse in March, according to Israeli regime's media.

In the meantime, local US media including Axios, have reported that US envoy Steve Witkoff denies claims that Hamas had agreed to his proposed ceasefire plan.

"White House envoy @SteveWitkoff rejects Hamas' claim that the group has agreed to his proposal for a hostage and ceasefire deal and tells me: 'What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable,'" Axios journalist Barak David said in a post on his X account.

MNA