DOHA, Qatar — Conflicting reports on a potential ceasefire deal in Gaza emerged Monday, May 26, 2025, with Hamas claiming it had accepted a proposal brokered by the United States, while U.S. and Israeli officials dismissed the existence or viability of any such agreement.
According to sources, the Palestinian group and U.S. Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff had reached a draft agreement during discussions in Doha.
The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, the staged release of 10 Israeli captives held by Hamas, and the immediate, unconditional delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
The terms also allegedly commit the Israeli military to withdraw from Gaza under the guarantee of U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, Witkoff swiftly denied the claim, describing the supposed agreement as “completely unacceptable.”
A U.S. official close to the envoy further criticised Hamas’s statements, calling them “disappointing” and “inaccurate.”
Despite Hamas’s reported willingness to accept the deal, Israeli officials also rejected the notion that it originated from the United States.
Speaking to Reuters, they said the terms were “not acceptable” and insisted that “no Israeli government” could endorse the proposal.
In Washington, the White House is offering a temporary ceasefire, not a long-term arrangement.
The U.S.-backed plan would reportedly include the release of half the captives and deceased Israeli hostages, potentially laying the groundwork for more comprehensive peace talks.
“There is no formal agreement on a permanent ceasefire,” a senior U.S. official said, emphasising that any resolution must evolve from a phased diplomatic process.
Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes continued across Gaza on Monday, reportedly killing at least 81 people, including numerous children, according to medical officials.
The renewed bombardment, which resumed on March 18 following a brief pause, has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Health authorities in Gaza say the overall death toll from Israel’s military campaign has now reached 53,977, with more than 122,000 wounded.
The United Nations has warned of impending famine in the enclave, where over two million people are struggling to access basic necessities.
While Israel claimed last week to have eased its blockade, stating that around 170 aid trucks had entered Gaza, humanitarian officials say the volume remains far below the daily requirement to sustain the population after more than 11 weeks of total siege.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address the purported ceasefire deal in a video message posted.
However, he reaffirmed his government’s intention to retrieve all Israeli captives from Gaza and to continue its military campaign until Hamas is dismantled.
“We intend to bring them all back, the living and the dead,” Netanyahu said.
“If we don’t achieve it today, we will achieve it tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow.”
Netanyahu has set out additional demands for ending the war, including the demilitarisation of Hamas, the exile of its leaders, and the implementation of a U.S.-backed reconstruction plan widely criticised as a pretext for Palestinian displacement.
In recent statements, Hamas said it remains open to a deal that would involve the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.
It has also shown openness to transferring control of Gaza to an interim government under an Arab League-sponsored $53 billion reconstruction initiative.
However, the group has rejected calls for the exile of its leadership and disarmament, describing them as “red lines” as long as Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory continues.
The fate of the ceasefire talks remains uncertain.
“Palestinians here are saying they do not have any options left, and they are trying to survive the Israeli air strikes and the mass starvation that has been imposed on them,” she reported.
