Trump Envoy Rejects Hamas Response to Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal as ‘Totally Unacceptable’

Hamas has proposed changes to a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal with Israel. Steve Witkoff said the proposal is a step backward in efforts to end the Gaza war.
Trump Envoy Rejects Hamas Response to Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal as ‘Totally Unacceptable’
Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from a humanitarian aid distribution center, in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on May 29, 2025. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Tom Ozimek
Updated:
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President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East has dismissed the Hamas terrorist group’s response to a U.S.-backed Gaza Strip cease-fire proposal as “totally unacceptable” and a step backward in efforts to end the war, after the terror group said it wanted to revise key terms of the deal, including the timing of hostage releases and Israeli withdrawals.

In a statement issued on May 31, envoy Steve Witkoff urged Hamas to accept the current framework as the basis for immediate talks that could lead to a 60-day pause in fighting and the return of hostages—both living and dead.

Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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