Washington D.C. – In a sharp rebuke, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff today condemned statements from Palestinian terrorist group Hamas that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal, a deal it apparently invented without agreement or even discussion with either Israel or the United States. The White House appears to be both disappointed and angered by Hamas’s deceptive maneuver, which has thrown further uncertainty into efforts to de-escalate the conflict initiated by Hamas’s barbaric October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
Reports surfaced Monday morning that Hamas had consented to a ceasefire arrangement purportedly advanced by Witkoff, which was said to involve the release of a mere ten Israeli hostages in exchange for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
However, these claims were swiftly and forcefully refuted by the White House. Special Envoy Witkoff, responding to the Hamas pronouncements, told Axios the claims were baseless.”What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable,” Witkoff said, emphasizing that a realistic deal, supported by Israel, is still open. “That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it,” Witkoff urged.
“Hamas is attempting to dictate [ceasefire] terms through deception”
Axios reporter Barak Ravid also noted Witkoff’s rejection of Hamas’s portrayal of the situation. The U.S. Envoy clarified that Israel would consent to a temporary ceasefire and hostage agreement that “would see half of the living and half of the deceased return,” paving the way for “substantive negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I agreed to preside over.”
Israeli officials have echoed this sentiment, with one telling The Jerusalem Post that the proposal Hamas claimed to accept is “[The proposal is] very far away from the outline that we are willing to negotiate on.” This underscores the assertion that Hamas is attempting to dictate terms through deception, rather than engage in good faith negotiations to free the remaining hostages brutally taken from Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently stated Israel’s readiness for a temporary ceasefire to secure the release of hostages, a point he reiterated as recently as last Wednesday: “If there’s an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages, we are prepared for that.”
The deceptive tactics from Hamas, a globally recognized terrorist organization, are seen as a cynical ploy to relieve the pressure Israel is rightly applying to dismantle the group’s terror infrastructure in Gaza and rescue its citizens. The United States and Israel remain aligned in their goal of defeating Hamas and ensuring such atrocities can never be repeated.
Starmer Chooses Terror Apologists Over Allies, Critics Charge
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, UK Labour leader Keir Starmer – desperate to distract the public over internal revolt – continues to condemnation for his anti-Israel stance, which many see as undermining tiny country as it confronts the terrorists who seek its destruction. Starmer, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, recently issued a joint statement on May 19, 2025.
The statement called on Israel to halt its military operations against Hamas in Gaza, allow more aid (which Israel already facilitates in vast quantities, often seized or delayed by Hamas itself), and threatened “further concrete actions.” While the statement did call on Hamas to release the hostages, its primary message was critical of Israel, the victim of islamic aggression. Starmer and his counterparts cited the “intolerable” level of human suffering in Gaza and claimed Israel’s actions were “wholly disproportionate” and risked breaching international law – a baseless accusation when Israel takes unprecedented measures to avoid civilian casualties in its fight against terrorists embedded within civilian populations.
This position, which effectively shields the Hamas terrorists, was met with swift and deserved outrage from Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Starmer and the other leaders of being on the “wrong side of history” and “emboldening Hamas.” Netanyahu powerfully stated, “These three leaders effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power. They want Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas’s army of mass murderers will survive, rebuild, and repeat the October 7th massacre again and again and again.”
He further charged that by issuing such statements, “These leaders may think that they’re advancing peace. They’re not. They’re emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever.” Referring to the terrorists who perpetrated the October 7th atrocities, Netanyahu declared, “I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer, when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice. You’re on the wrong side of humanity, and you’re on the wrong side of history.”
Starmer’s justification for his stance – humanitarian concern – rings hollow to critics who point out that the suffering in Gaza is a direct consequence of Hamas’s decision to attack Israel and its continued use of Palestinians as human shields. Pro-Israel voices argue that true humanitarianism would involve unequivocally supporting Israel’s efforts to eliminate the terrorist threat, which is the only path to lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. By prioritizing the agenda of those who sympathize with terrorists, Starmer is seen as abandoning democratic allies and moral clarity.
