
On Tuesday, Hamas responded to a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal for Gaza, requesting “amendments” to the deal rather than offering outright acceptance, thereby keeping negotiations for an end to the eight-month conflict ongoing.
Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha stated the group’s response included amendments confirming the cease-fire, withdrawal, reconstruction, and prisoner exchange, though he did not provide further details.
Despite supporting the general terms, Hamas officials remain cautious about Israel’s commitment to implementing the agreement, particularly regarding a permanent end to the conflict and a full withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages.
Concurrently, the U.N. human rights office reported that both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups might have committed war crimes during a recent Israeli raid that resulted in freeing four hostages and the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians.
The war, initiated by Israel following Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of around 250 individuals, has claimed over 37,100 lives in Gaza, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The conflict has also caused severe shortages of food, medicine, and other supplies, with U.N. agencies warning that over 1 million people in Gaza may face extreme starvation by mid-July.