Daijiworld Media Network-Tel Aviv (DD)
Tel Aviv, May 28: As the war in Gaza rages with mounting civilian casualties, hopes for a ceasefire were dashed Monday after both Israel and the United States denied striking any deal with Hamas, despite reports suggesting the Palestinian group had agreed to a truce.
The confusion and contradictions reflect the deep mistrust and high stakes that continue to define the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has already claimed nearly 54,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health authorities.
The controversy began when a Palestinian official, reportedly close to Hamas, told Reuters that the group had accepted a 70-day ceasefire proposal — allegedly floated by US envoy Steve Witkoff. The plan, according to the source, included the release of 10 Israeli hostages, a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
But in a swift and blunt denial, both Witkoff and Israeli officials rejected the claim. “What I saw was completely unacceptable,” Witkoff told Reuters, clarifying that the terms discussed by Hamas were not the same as any official US proposal. An Israeli official echoed the rejection, saying “no responsible government could accept such an agreement.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added to the tension, releasing a statement in which he made no mention of a deal, but reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to recovering all hostages — both living and dead. “We intend to bring them all back,” he said, hinting that developments could come “today, and if not today, then tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the violence continues to exact a tragic toll.
According to Gaza’s civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal, at least 33 people, many of them children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced civilians. A separate strike in Jabalia claimed 19 more lives, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
The Israeli military defended the strikes, stating they had targeted a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command centre and had taken “numerous steps” to avoid civilian casualties.
The conflict entered a more aggressive phase in March, after a brief January ceasefire collapsed. Since then, Israel has escalated its military operations, imposing a blockade that has led to acute shortages of food, water, and medicine. Aid groups have raised alarms over widespread malnutrition, especially among children.
On the other side, Hamas has said it is ready to release all remaining hostages from the October 7 attacks in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and permanent ceasefire — a demand Netanyahu has flatly rejected. Israel maintains that the war will continue until Hamas is completely dismantled.
As the international community watches with concern and diplomats scramble to salvage dialogue, the people of Gaza continue to pay the heaviest price — caught between stalled diplomacy and escalating warfare.