Hamas said on Saturday it had officially responded to a ceasefire plan put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who represents President Donald Trump in Middle East diplomacy. The group said its reply includes a key demand: a complete end to the war.
According to Hamas, the deal proposes a prisoner exchange—ten living hostages and 18 bodies for a yet-unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. The statement echoed Witkoff’s earlier framework, which Israeli media reported had already been accepted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The group said its stance was reached after “a round of national consultations.” The response stops short of demanding changes to the proposal, though a Palestinian official told Reuters that minor amendments were sought, while the overall reply remains positive.
The Israeli prime minister’s office has not commented publicly on Hamas’s response. But earlier this week, Netanyahu reportedly told hostage families that Israel had accepted the deal.
Previous efforts to halt fighting in Gaza have failed due to deep disagreements. Israel demands Hamas disarm and release all 58 remaining hostages before any ceasefire. Hamas rejects those terms and insists on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
The coming days will test whether this proposal breaks the deadlock, or becomes another stalled attempt.
Donald Trump has warned that any Iranian ships approaching a declared U.S. blockade zone in the Strait of Hormuz will be “immediately elimina...
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming t...
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, marking a setback in his ongoing legal ...
Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar has said he does not support Ukraine’s fast-track entry to the European Union and will up...
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a five-day visit to China, his fourth trip in four years, highlighting Spain’s push to stre...
Donald Trump has warned that any Iranian ships approaching a declared U.S. blockade zone in the Strait of Hormuz will be “immediately eliminated”, as tensions escalate over maritime restrictions in the Gulf. The comments come after weekend peace talks in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement.
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming to expand access to advanced medical services between 2026 and 2028.
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, marking a setback in his ongoing legal battles with major media organisations he accuses of publishing misleading coverage.
Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar has said he does not support Ukraine’s fast-track entry to the European Union and will uphold an opt-out allowing Hungary to avoid contributing to a €90 billion EU loan for Kyiv.
Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators held their highest-level talks in half a century in Pakistan on Saturday in an effort to end their six-week war, as President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had begun the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Haiti’s Laferrière Citadel World Heritage Site, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
Nine suspects were arrested on Saturday (11 April) in connection with a terror attack targeting a police post in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district.
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming to expand access to advanced medical services between 2026 and 2028.
Nine suspects have been formally arrested over last week’s gun attack near Israel’s consulate in Istanbul, judicial officials have said. The assault left one attacker dead and two Turkish police officers lightly wounded.
Azerbaijani and Armenian civil society representatives have convened for a new round of dialogue under the ‘Peace Bridge’ initiative, as both sides seek to sustain engagement ahead of key political developments in the region.
The reopening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Iran reflects the “special relationship” between the two countries, a regional expert has said.
Cement maker Lafarge was found guilty by a French court on Monday (13 April) of paying millions to jihadist groups, including ISIS, to keep a plant running during the Syrian civil war.
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