The Hamas terrorist group said Saturday it had issued a formal response to a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal that would pause the war in Gaza for at least 60 days and secure the release of about half of the remaining hostages.
The group said in a statement issued on its Telegram channel on May 31 that, under the deal, it will release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in return for Israel’s release of an “agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.”
Hamas’s announcement follows weeks of diplomatic efforts led by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and other mediators to revive a truce that collapsed in early March, when Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza citing a breakdown in negotiations….