The Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the changes demanded by Hamas to introduce the latest ceasefire proposal in Gaza are “unacceptable” for Israel.

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Israeli media, citing Hamas sources, claimed that the Palestinian group requested some changes to the text of the proposal, including eliminating the humanitarian aid distribution mechanism managed by the controversial Humanitarian Foundation for Gaza (GHF, US) and that the UN will once again be responsible for distributing supplies.

Hamas’s proposal would include guarantees that neither side will return to fighting as long as negotiations continue, which would begin during an initial 60-day truce with the goal of “a permanent ceasefire and a full and gradual withdrawal from Gaza.”

The proposal includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the Israeli captives still alive in the Gaza Strip (about ten), as well as the corpses of some 30 hostages, in exchange for the release of several Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office states that these “unacceptable” changes proposed by Hamas, which it does not detail, were delivered to Israel on Friday night and that, after assessing the situation, the Prime Minister instructed the negotiating team to continue the talks.

This is the first time that the Netanyahu government has officially spoken out on the truce negotiations, after the US president, Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and expressed hope that Hamas would also agree to the agreement.

Netanyahu plans to visit the White House next week and meet with Trump there, when the ceasefire is expected to be announced.

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