Israeli PM Netanyahu accepts US’ latest Gaza ceasefire proposal as Hamas says it is considering it

It comes after Middle East envoy Witkoff said earlier this week that he was optimistic about brokering an agreement to end more than 19 months of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has accepted US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and prisoner exchange.

“Israel accepts the new Witkoff outline,” Netanyahu reportedly said during a meeting with the families of hostages being held by Hamas, according to a statement released by his office and picked up by Israeli media.

Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer.

Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, said it “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.”

Read more: Euronews