ADDS DETAILS, CHANGE DECK
By Mohammad Sio
ISTANBUL (AA) - Hamas said Wednesday that it reached an agreement with US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff on a general framework for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“We have reached an agreement on a general framework with Witkoff that ensures a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid,” the Palestinian resistance group said in a statement.
The agreement also includes “the establishment of a professional committee to manage Gaza affairs once a ceasefire is declared,” it said.
Hamas said it would release 10 living hostages and the remains of several in exchange for a mutually agreed number of Palestinian prisoners under guarantees from mediators.
There was no immediate comment from mediators Egypt, Qatar, or the US on the statement by Hamas.
An Israeli official rejected the announcement, describing the proposal as “unacceptable” to Israel and the US, Israeli media reported.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper cited an unnamed Israeli source who rejected the existence of an agreement with Hamas, claiming it is “propaganda and psychological warfare.”
The source alleged Israel agreed to an unspecified initiative by Witkoff, but Hamas rejected the proposal.
Similarly, Channel 12 quoted an unnamed Israeli official who said, “We are not aware of any agreement reached between Hamas and the US.” The official added that Hamas’ attempt to use the term, “Witkoff’s framework” to promote its own vision “will not succeed.”
The official said Israel and the US have strongly rejected recent ideas presented by Hamas.
Statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office often come from anonymous sources distributed to the media.
Hamas has repeatedly offered to release Israeli captives “all at once” in exchange for ending the war, the Israeli troop withdrawal and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu, however, has resisted those terms, instead calling for the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions and signaling plans to reoccupy Gaza.
Israel estimates that 58 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,100 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions, including reports of torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.
The Israeli opposition and families of the hostages have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war to appease his far-right coalition partners and maintain power.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.