No promise to end Gaza war in Trump plan, Hamas reviews ceasefire proposal 'signed' by Israel

Israel has warned Hamas to accept the US-backed ceasefire proposal “or be annihilated”, hours after the Palestinian terror group said that the deal, submitted by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, failed to meet its demands.

The Hamas murderers will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the ‘Witkoff Deal’ for the release of the hostages – or be annihilated," the country’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement.

While Israel has accepted the proposal , which calls for the release of 10 living and 18 dead hostages and a 60-day-long ceasefire of fighting in Gaza, Hamas said that it is still reviewing the deal.

More from World

Have Israel and Hamas agreed to Gaza ceasefire? What's the confusion? Israel agrees to US ceasefire plan for 60-day truce: Report

The proposal comes months after the two warring parties have been unable to reach a truce, forcing Gaza to enter a new level of humanitarian crisis as Israel blocked aid to the Palestinian region for months, pushing thousands into hunger.

Trump says Israel and Hamas ‘close’ to a deal

Meanwhile, Trump has said that he believes a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is “very close”.

“They’re very close to an agreement on Gaza. We’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow. And we have a chance of that,” the president said during a joint press conference with Elon Musk.

Humanitarian crisis in Gaza

The United Nations condemned Friday a group of “armed individuals” for raiding warehouses in the Palestinian territory of Gaza and looting large amounts of medical supplies.

The group “stormed the warehouses at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines, nutritional supplements that was intended for malnourished children,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

The stolen aid had been brought into war-ravaged Gaza just a day earlier, he said.

“As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety breaks down, looting incidents continue to be reported,” he said.

With inputs from agencies