Gaza City / Tel Aviv – Hopes for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict dimmed further this week as Hamas formally rejected Israel’s latest truce proposal, denouncing what it called “impossible conditions.” The move signals a continued deadlock in indirect negotiations mediated by regional and international actors.
In a televised address, Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas political official and lead negotiator in the ceasefire talks, said the group would not accept a partial or interim truce. He stated that Hamas remains open to a comprehensive agreement one that would include a full cessation of hostilities and a complete prisoner exchange.
“We are prepared to immediately engage in a deal that swaps all Israeli hostages for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners,” al-Hayya said. “But we reject any ceasefire proposal that aims to delay or fragment a final resolution to this war.”
Israel’s proposal, submitted during recent Cairo-brokered talks, reportedly included phased pauses in fighting and conditional releases of hostages. Hamas criticized the plan as lacking guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal and permanent end to military operations in Gaza.
The rejection is a significant setback for mediators in Egypt and Qatar, who had been working to close gaps between the two sides amid growing international pressure for a humanitarian ceasefire.
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not officially commented on Hamas’s latest remarks but has previously insisted that any truce must include the unconditional release of all Israeli hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’s military infrastructure.
The war, which erupted following Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, has now entered its seventh month. More than 30,000 people have been reported killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, while dozens of hostages remain in captivity. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization, as do the United States, European Union, Canada, and several other countries.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and global appeals for restraint grow louder, the path to peace remains elusive. Negotiators say they will continue to pursue diplomatic channels, but with both parties standing firm, the prospects for an immediate breakthrough appear bleak.
