Gaza: President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that Hamas is not acting seriously in talks to stop the fighting in Gaza.
On Monday, May 26, 2025, Witkoff told Axios that Hamas had not accepted a U.S. peace deal, even though Hamas said they did. He called their response “completely unacceptable” and said their claims were false.
This news came as Israel’s latest attacks on Gaza killed 55 people over the weekend, including 36 children, according to local health officials. Hamas said they agreed to a 60-day ceasefire that included the release of 10 hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals, and more humanitarian aid.
They also claimed the U.S. agreed to make sure Israel would not restart the war afterward. But Witkoff said no new deal had been offered and that Hamas was not telling the truth. Israel also rejected Hamas’s version of the agreement.
The real U.S. deal, Witkoff said, included a 45–60 day ceasefire, the release of 10 living hostages and 19 who died, and some Palestinian prisoners in return. He said this plan could lead to a long-term peace if Hamas agrees.
The fighting started again in March after a ceasefire broke down. Israel says it will not stop until Hamas is destroyed and all the hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack are returned. That attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to a war that has now lasted many months.
President Trump is said to be upset by pictures of injured and dead children in Gaza and wants the war to end soon. World leaders like the UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Canada’s Mark Carney have also warned Israel to stop its harsh attacks or face consequence
