US says Israel accepts temporary Gaza ceasefire proposal

Washington, May 30 (IANS) The White House said that Israel has signed off on a 60-day Gaza ceasefire proposal as Israeli army continues its military actions in the war-torn area.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at a press briefing that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump "submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed and supported."

"Israel signed off on this proposal before it was sent to Hamas. I can also confirm that those discussions are continuing, and we hope that a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home," said Leavitt.

"I won't comment further, as we are in the midst of this right now," she added.

An Israeli official and a US source familiar with the case confirmed that the proposed deal includes not only the 60-day ceasefire but also plans to release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 dead hostages, Xinhua news agency reported quoting CBS News.

Hamas said Thursday that its leadership had received a new Gaza ceasefire proposal from Witkoff through the mediators and was studying it.

"The Hamas leadership has received Witkoff's new proposal from the mediators and is responsibly studying it in a way that serves the interests of our people, provides relief, and achieves a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," Hamas said in a brief statement.

--IANS

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