Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that Hamas’ response to the latest U.S. proposal to extend the Gaza ceasefire was “totally unacceptable.”

Jerusalem

The U.S brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza is holding, after Hamas agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages.

Middle East Conflict

Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff has criticised Hamas' response to a recent U.S. proposal to prolong the Gaza ceasefire. The proposal included extending the ceasefire for one month and allowing aid to resume in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas. According to Witkoff, Hamas' offer to release Israeli-American citizen Idan Alexander and the bodies of four other dual national hostages was deemed "totally unacceptable."

Witkoff, alongside Senior Policy Director Eric Trager, spent significant time negotiating at the Arab Summit with Israeli officials and proposed a plan for the release of five live hostages, including Idan Alexander, in exchange for a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Despite the potential benefits identified for Palestinian families, Hamas' response after several days was not acceptable to the negotiating parties.

Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Witkoff pointed to recent developments, indicating that the window of opportunity for Hamas to engage positively could soon close. He urged Hamas to adopt a more reasonable approach to the negotiations, following recent international events, such as those involving the Houthis, which underscore the international community's limited tolerance for terrorism.



Hamas plan to free Israeli-American hostage 'a nonstarter,' envoy says

You gave Hamas a proposal to extend the ceasefire in Gaza for a month and restore the flow of aid in exchange for the release of a number of living hostages that Hamas is still holding. Hamas responded by saying that they would release the American-Israeli citizen, Idan Alexander, and the bodies of four dual national hostages. But at least according to press reports, you appeared to throw cold water on the proposal. Just to be clear, is the Hamas proposal or whatever you would call it, is it a non-starter? What is going to happen next, do you think? The Hamas proposal is a non-starter, Jake. I spent, along with Senior Policy Director Eric Trager from Mike Waltz's office, I spent close to seven and a half hours at the Arab Summit. We had really positive conversation there. I would describe it as game-changing, but for Hamas's response. So we spent a good deal of time talking about a bridge, a bridge proposal that would see the release of five live hostages that included Idan Alexander, and also, by the way, see the release of a substantial amount of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, which would be a wonderful thing for these Palestinian families. And I thought the proposal was compelling. The Israelis were informed about it and advised about it beforehand. And after waiting for two or three days from Hamas, which is their usual mode, we got an unacceptable response. I'm not going to go into the specific details of what made it unacceptable, but it was totally unacceptable. I think there's an opportunity for them, but the opportunity is closing fast. What happened with the Houthis yesterday, what happened with our strike ought to inform as to where we stand with regard to terrorism and our tolerance level for terrorist actions. And I would encourage Hamas to get much more sensible than how they have been.

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