How Israel and Witkoff Are Trying to Strong-Arm Hamas Into a Deal That Does Not End the Genocide

On May 25, Palestinian negotiators from Hamas believed they were on the verge of a deal to end the Gaza genocide. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas was told, had approved a term sheet that reflected Hamas’s major demands, and indicated the Trump administration would work to have Israel accept them.

But less than a week later, Witkoff came back with a dramatically altered version, crafted with Israel, that did not explicitly guarantee key provisions for ending Israel’s war or the withdrawal of its forces. This new agreement made between Israel and the U.S. was subsequently touted in the press as Trump’s plan to end the war on Gaza and the onus was now on Hamas to accept it.

The terms provisionally agreed to by Hamas largely return to the previous ceasefire deal signed on January 17 and violated by Israel in early March—meaning a major withdrawal of Israeli forces, the delivery of hundreds of trucks a day of food, medicine, fuel and other aid. The agreement would also mandate that Hamas give up governing power in Gaza, an independent Palestinian committee would be created to take charge, and reconstruction would begin immediately.