Hamas finds “no real guarantees” in new Gaza ceasefire proposal

Hamas has expressed skepticism about Israel’s latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, stating it sees “no real guarantees” that fighting would end or Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, according to a statement on the group’s Telegram channel.

While acknowledging receipt of the proposal, which reportedly includes demands for Hamas’ disarmament and the release of Israeli hostages, the Palestinian group stopped short of explicitly rejecting the offer.

“We have considered the new ceasefire proposal, which included the demand for Hamas’ disarmament and the release of Israeli hostages, but it provided no real guarantees that the war against the Palestinian people will be ended and Israeli troops will be withdrawn from Gaza,” the statement said.

According to the Hamas-affiliated Maan agency, Israel’s revised proposal offers to resume the ceasefire in exchange for the release of ten hostages, including Israeli-American citizen Edan Alexander. The proposal reportedly includes Israeli withdrawal from areas captured during operations launched in mid-March and the opening of several border checkpoints to facilitate humanitarian aid.

Egyptian mediators indicated that if an agreement is reached, Hamas might release 11 living hostages and return the remains of 16 deceased captives. The proposal reportedly contemplates extending the ceasefire to 70 days, potentially maintaining calm through the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday in early June.

Fighting resumed on March 18 when Israel launched new strikes on Gaza, ending a ceasefire that had been in place since January 2025. The Israeli government cited Hamas’ rejection of previous proposals as the reason for resuming operations, while Hamas blamed Israel and the United States for the renewed escalation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​