Hamas Announces Framework Agreement with U.S. Envoy for Gaza Ceasefire and Prisoner Swap
Despite Hamas’ announcement of a truce deal with U.S. mediator Steve Wietckoff, Israel swiftly denies any such agreement, deepening uncertainty over Gaza ceasefire efforts.
Watan-The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas announced on Wednesday that it had reached a framework agreement with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Wietckoff for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in the Gaza Strip, pending final confirmation from mediators.
In an official statement, Hamas said:“We are making significant efforts to stop the brutal war on the Gaza Strip. The latest of these efforts resulted in an agreement with U.S. envoy Steve Wietckoff on a general framework for a permanent ceasefire, the full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, and the flow of humanitarian aid.”
The agreement reportedly includes the formation of a professional committee to manage Gaza’s affairs following the announcement, as well as the release of ten living Israeli captives and a number of bodies, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, under mediator guarantees.
Hamas confirmed it is awaiting the “final response” from the mediators.
Israeli Denial
An official Israeli source quickly denied Hamas’ claim on Wednesday, stating the proposal is “unacceptable” to both Tel Aviv and Washington, according to Hebrew media.
Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an unnamed Israeli official denying any agreement with Hamas, accusing the movement of “continuing its propaganda and psychological warfare.”
The source added that “Israel had agreed to the U.S. envoy’s initiative (unspecified), but Hamas rejected it,” stressing that “Hamas’ proposal is unacceptable to both Israel and the U.S. administration.”
Channel 12 also cited an unnamed official saying, “We are unaware of any deal between Hamas and the United States.”
The official claimed that Hamas’ use of the term “Wietckoff plan” to promote its agenda would not succeed, and added:
“Israel and the U.S. have strongly rejected Hamas’ recent ideas.”
Statements like these are often issued anonymously by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and distributed to the media.
Hamas has repeatedly expressed its readiness to release all Israeli captives in a single batch, in exchange for an end to the genocide, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu—who is wanted for international prosecution—continues to stall with new conditions, including disarming Palestinian factions, while currently insisting on reoccupying Gaza.
Israel estimates there are 58 Israeli captives in Gaza, including 20 alive. In contrast, over 10,100 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect—conditions that have led to several deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.
The Israeli opposition and families of captives accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to serve the far-right wing of his government and protect his political career.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—with full U.S. support—has waged a genocidal war in Gaza, resulting in over 177,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, most of them women and children. More than 11,000 remain missing, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
