Hamas Rejects Israeli Ceasefire Offer, Seeks Full Deal to End Gaza War

Hamas has firmly signaled its rejection of Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, demanding a more comprehensive agreement that includes a complete end to the war in Gaza. This development comes amid continued Israeli airstrikes across the densely populated Palestinian territory, where the humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day.

On Thursday, Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator, made it clear that the group would not accept what he described as “partial agreements” designed to serve Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political interests. Speaking in a televised address, he emphasized that Hamas wants a full-scale deal that includes a total cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a large-scale prisoner exchange, and the start of reconstruction efforts.

Israel had offered a 45-day truce in exchange for the release of 10 Israeli hostages held by Hamas. In return, Hamas demanded the release of 1,231 Palestinian prisoners and unimpeded humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been under total blockade since early March. However, a major sticking point in the proposal was Israel’s demand for Hamas to begin disarming — a condition Hamas categorically rejected.

According to sources, Hamas submitted its written response to the ceasefire plan through mediators. Their stance has not changed: they want a single, comprehensive deal, not a phased approach that could leave crucial matters unresolved.

The situation on the ground in Gaza continues to deteriorate. On the same day Hamas rejected the proposal, civil defense teams reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 people, mostly in makeshift camps for displaced families. In one of the deadliest incidents, two missiles hit tents in Al-Mawasi, an area previously designated by Israel as a “safe zone,” killing 16 people, including many women and children. Survivors described a sudden explosion that turned tents into firetraps.

Strikes were also reported in Beit Lahia, Jabalia, and Gaza City. In Jabalia, a strike on a Hamas command and control center reportedly resulted in the deaths of 13 people, including members of the Asaliya family and several people sheltering at a school. Gaza's civil defense says the ongoing offensive has devastated areas already overwhelmed with displaced civilians.

Israel has intensified its military operations in northern and southern Gaza, and now says it has converted 30 percent of the strip into a “buffer zone.” The United Nations reports that more than 500,000 Palestinians have been newly displaced since these operations resumed in March, calling the situation the worst humanitarian disaster of the war.

Qatar, which has served as a key mediator along with Egypt and the U.S., blamed Israel for the collapse of the previous ceasefire agreement. During a visit to Moscow, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani stated that “Israel did not abide by the agreement” reached earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Gaza faces severe shortages of fuel, medicine, water, and food. The Israeli Defense Minister recently said Israel would continue blocking aid, which Hamas condemned as an intentional war crime aimed at starving the population. The International Committee of the Red Cross also voiced its outrage after one of its bases was struck in Gaza — the second such incident in recent weeks.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, at least 1,691 people have been killed since Israel resumed its large-scale assault last month. This brings the total death toll in Gaza to over 51,000 since the war began following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,218 people dead in Israel, most of them civilians.

With no breakthrough in sight and the humanitarian situation growing more dire, the prospect of a peaceful resolution remains distant. Hamas’s rejection of the latest truce offer underscores the complexity of reaching a lasting ceasefire — one that satisfies both parties’ core demands and puts an end to the suffering of millions caught in the conflict.