A fragile ceasefire effort to halt the ongoing conflict in Gaza has hit another stumbling block, as Hamas has rejected the latest US-brokered proposal backed by Israel, saying it fails to meet the group’s key demands.
The White House confirmed that Israel has officially “backed and supported” the new ceasefire plan, which aims to pause fighting and secure the release of hostages. But while Hamas has acknowledged receipt of the proposal and says it is reviewing it “responsibly,” the group insists the terms fall short of what’s needed to bring lasting peace.
This latest development follows optimistic comments from President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who earlier this week suggested an agreement to halt the war and free more hostages was within reach.
The proposed ceasefire reportedly calls for a 60-day pause in hostilities, with guarantees of serious negotiations to follow and assurances that Israel will not resume attacks as it did after a previous ceasefire ended in March. Under the plan, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and some bodies in exchange for the release of over 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including a number convicted of serious attacks.
Humanitarian aid would also flow more freely into Gaza, where months of blockade have pushed the population to the brink of famine.
Yet beneath these terms lies the deeper impasse that has stalled talks for over a year and a half. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all hostages are freed and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed. He has also suggested Israel will maintain control over Gaza indefinitely, facilitating what he calls the “voluntary emigration” of much of the population—a plan widely rejected by Palestinians and international observers as a breach of international law.
Hamas, meanwhile, demands a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of more Palestinian prisoners before releasing the remaining 58 hostages, who are believed to be in grave danger as the conflict drags on.
The conflict’s brutal toll is staggering. Hamas’s October 7th attack on southern Israel killed around 1,200 civilians and abducted 251 hostages. Israel’s military response has since killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population of two million.
Both sides face political and military pressures that complicate peace efforts. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition opposes ending the war prematurely, while Hamas fears surrendering hostages without a guaranteed ceasefire would expose it to destruction.
With decades of deep-rooted animosity and competing demands, the prospects for a lasting resolution remain painfully distant, even as the humanitarian crisis worsens and more lives hang in the balance.
