by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, criticizing it as a “partial” deal that fails to guarantee a complete end to the war or a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
According to Arab media, the Israeli proposal called for a 45-day ceasefire, a suspension of military operations, increased humanitarian aid, and a phased exchange of prisoners and hostages. As a goodwill gesture to the U.S., Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander would be released on the first day, followed by five additional hostages in exchange for 66 Palestinian prisoners and 611 Gaza detainees. However, it also demanded the complete disarmament of Hamas — a condition the terrorist organization deems unacceptable.
Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of setting “impossible conditions” and using temporary agreements to further military objectives.
In a televised speech, al-Hayya stated that Hamas will not be “part of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s policy of partial deals.”
Al-Hayya said mediators must reach out to Hamas to resolve what he called an Israeli-made crisis, adding the terrorist organization is ready to negotiate an immediate deal to exchange all hostages for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners as part of a war-ending agreement.
Responding to al-Hayya’s remarks on Thursday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reaffirmed that Israel would not yield to Hamas or end the war in Gaza without achieving a “complete victory” and securing the return of all hostages.
“The time has come to open the gates of hell on Hamas, to deepen the fighting until the complete occupation of the Strip, the elimination of Hamas, and the implementation of [US] President [Donald] Trump’s plan for the voluntary exit and rehabilitation of Gazans in another country,” he wrote on X.
In response to Hamas’s rejection of the ceasefire proposal, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt issued a sharp rebuke.
“Hamas’s comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell,” said Hewitt.
As of April 18, 2025, 59 hostages remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza. Israeli intelligence assesses that at least 34 of them have died, leaving 24 believed to be alive. Among the living is Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier, who is considered the last known American hostage still alive in Gaza.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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