Hamas responded to the latest US-brokered ceasefire proposal for Gaza, saying that it is looking to make amendments to key elements of the deal. A senior official from the group told the AP that these revisions were requested around US guarantees, the timing of hostage releases, aid delivery, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.“There some notes and amendments to some points, especially on the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks,” the official said, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.A separate statement issued by Hamas confirmed that the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory, and an ensured flow of humanitarian aid. It added that 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be handed over in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners.Israel has already approved the US plan for a temporary 60-day pause in hostilities. According to US President Donald Trump, negotiators are “nearing a deal.”If agreed, the ceasefire would include the phased release of some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners, and the urgent delivery of food and aid. The urgency of the talks intensified as Gaza’s humanitarian situation grew increasingly dire. On Saturday, residents desperate for food intercepted 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, before they could reach distribution points, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP).The WFP said the nearly three-month Israeli blockade has pushed Gaza’s population of over two million to the edge of famine, despite a recent uptick in aid allowed through. “We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,” the agency said, noting it has over 140,000 metric tons of food ready — enough to feed the enclave for two months.A witness in Khan Younis described chaotic scenes, telling the AP that thousands of people, many carrying bags of flour, stopped a UN convoy at a makeshift roadblock. He further said that at one point, a forklift was used to offload pallets.The UN has previously criticised Israel for forcing aid agencies to use insecure routes through military-controlled areas where armed gangs operate and aid convoys have been targeted.The war, now in its 20th month, began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and taking approximately 250 hostages. Of those, 58 remain in Gaza. Israel believes 35 of them are dead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are “doubts” surrounding the fate of several others.
