Israel has announced that its forces have killed Mohammad Sinwar, the chief of Hamas in Gaza, while U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff described the group's counteroffer for a ceasefire as "totally unacceptable."
Mohammad Sinwar took over as the leader of the militant group in the Gaza Strip following the death of his older brother, Yahya Sinwar, last October.
In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed that Sinwar was killed on May 13 during a strike on a hospital in southern Gaza. Although Hamas has not officially confirmed or denied his death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in parliament on Wednesday that Sinwar had been "eliminated."
Hamas is seeking modifications to the US ceasefire proposal. The group has offered to release 10 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 18 others in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
On Thursday, the White House announced that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire plan, which would involve the release of nine living hostages and half of the known deceased hostages over the course of a week. Following this, Israel and Hamas would continue negotiations to secure the return of the remaining hostages, although Israel would retain the right to resume military operations in Gaza if the talks fail.
In a statement regarding the proposal on Saturday, Hamas indicated that its response "aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to our people in the Strip."
Hamas's response is "totally unacceptable," according to Mr. Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East. He expressed on social media that Hamas's stance "only takes us backwards." Witkoff urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal we presented as a basis for proximity talks, which could begin as soon as next week.
In response, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters that while the group has not outright rejected the proposal, he believes Witkoff's comments are "unfair" and demonstrate "complete bias" toward Israel. Israel has yet to respond to Hamas's counteroffer, but it has previously dismissed the conditions and insisted on the complete disarmament and dismantling of the group.
Gaza aid organizations have reported that armed groups have hijacked dozens of World Food Programme (WFP) trucks transporting flour to bakeries in Gaza, leading to widespread looting. The WFP stated, "After nearly 80 days of a total blockade, communities are starving and can no longer stand by as food is passed by." Amjad Al-Shawa, the head of a coalition representing Palestinian aid groups, emphasized the need for hundreds more trucks and accused Israel of implementing a "systematic policy of starvation." In response, Israel denies any such policy, asserting that it is facilitating aid deliveries through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation while accusing Hamas of stealing supplies.
