Hamas consults Gaza factions as it weighs response to US ceasefire proposal

Despite indications that Hamas is leaning toward rejecting the latest ceasefire proposal presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff, the group has issued a new statement suggesting it is not ready to walk away from negotiations and wants to share the decision-making process with other Palestinian factions in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official told BBC News that the organisation "intends to reject" the new US-backed proposal. However, in a shift in tone, Hamas clarified in a follow-up statement that consultations are ongoing and that it is coordinating with all factions in the Gaza Strip before announcing a final decision.

According to Haaretz, these other factions may have little influence over Hamas’s final stance, but this consultative approach allows Hamas to frame any eventual acceptance as something it was compelled into—an important narrative consideration for the group.

"The residents of the Strip are waiting for Hamas to make wise and quick decisions to end the war and protect those who remain in the Gaza Strip," wrote prominent Gaza-based researcher Mustafa Ibrahim, reflecting the growing urgency among civilians for a resolution.

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, meanwhile, reiterated the military pressure being applied in Gaza, where he said the Israel Defence Forces are operating "at full strength" and continuing strikes on Hamas targets. "Now they are forced to choose: either the ‘Witkoff deal’ or destruction," Katz warned.

Amid these developments, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States is close to brokering a breakthrough with both Hamas and Israel, as well as with Iran. Speaking on May 31, Trump said the two sides are “very close to an agreement on Gaza,” and that the White House expects to announce results “within a day or possibly tomorrow (June 1).”

The current US proposal, backed by Trump along with mediators Egypt and Qatar, calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 28 Israeli hostages—some alive, others deceased—within the first week. In exchange, 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the bodies of 180 Palestinians would be released. Once the ceasefire is accepted, humanitarian aid is to begin flowing immediately into Gaza, coordinated by the United Nations, the Red Crescent, and other designated humanitarian organisations.

The White House confirmed that Israel has already accepted the proposal.

Efforts to restore a truce following the breakdown of the previous ceasefire in March have so far failed due to entrenched demands on both sides. Israel insists that Hamas must disarm, dismantle its military and political structures, and return all hostages before agreeing to a full end to hostilities. Hamas, in contrast, has refused to disarm and demands a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a formal end to the war.

By Tamilla Hasanova