Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, stated on Saturday night that political factions in the Gaza Strip have urged Hamas to “come down from the tree” and accept the proposal put forward by U.S. envoy Witkoff. In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Majdalani added that even Hamas’s allies Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front have made similar appeals.
PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Ahmed Majdalani: Hamas’s response undermines US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a deal in Gaza
عضو اللجنة التنفيذية لمنظمة التحرير الفلسطينية د. أحمد مجدلاني: رد حماس ينسف مقترح المبعوث الأميركي ستيف ويتكوف بشأن صفقة في غزة#غزة #الحدث pic.twitter.com/xgPacDVgWF
— ا لـحـدث (@AlHadath) May 31, 2025
The White House sharply criticized Hamas on Saturday for its response to a new American cease-fire proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable” and accusing the group of pushing peace efforts in the wrong direction. Hamas had demanded stronger assurances that the deal would lead to a permanent end to the war.
The Witkoff proposal, which was accepted by Israel last Thursday, calls for a 60-day halt in fighting between Israel and Hamas. During that time, some hostages would be released in exchange for terrorists imprisoned in Israel, with further U.S.-backed negotiations to follow, aimed at reaching a lasting resolution.
Witkoff placed the blame squarely on Hamas for the lack of progress, stating that its response “only takes us backward.” He urged Hamas to accept the U.S. proposal as a foundation for serious negotiations, which he said could begin as early as the coming week.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas were “very close,” adding that an official announcement could come as soon as the next day.
But on Saturday, Hamas responded with a “yes, but,” with its chief demand being receiving American guarantees that would give it strong confidence that Israel would not resume fighting after receiving ten live hostages and the remains of 18 others.
Hamas fears that after a two-month cease-fire, Prime Minister Netanyahu intends to resume the war—prompting the group to demand assurances from President Trump and envoy Witkoff to prevent such a scenario.
According to Israeli authorities, approximately 20 living hostages and the bodies of more than 30 others are still believed to be held in Gaza.
Fighting in the Gaza Strip remains limited on the ground, aside from ongoing heavy Israeli airstrikes. It appears that Israel is currently using the positioning and movement of IDF ground forces primarily as a strategic signal intended to pressure Hamas and the civilian population over the consequences if a hostage deal fails to materialize.
Meanwhile, the IDF is heavily focused on advancing a new plan for distributing humanitarian aid. Despite significant disruptions caused by the large volume of incoming aid and repeated attempts by Hamas to sabotage the process, logistics centers continue to operate successfully, under American supervision and IDF protection, each center feeding an estimated 300 thousand Gazans per day over the past five days.
At the political level, the Netanyahu government continues to resist post-war proposals, particularly those involving the Palestinian Authority’s potential role in governing Gaza. On Sunday, foreign ministers from the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza, comprising several key Arab and Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, were expected to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. However, on Saturday, Israel blocked the visit.
