Israel on Monday has rejected the latest proposed hostage-ceasefire deal, according to the Times of Israel.
Citing A Senior Israeli official, the Times of Israel reported that the proposal received by Israel can not be accepted by any responsible government.
The new ceasefire proposal, which Israel has rejected as a "surrender to Hamas", is aimed at securing the release of the remaining 10 hostages.
The Witkoff Initiative
The Witkoff initiative calls for Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire and negotiations to end the Gaza war.
The proposal includes a ceasefire lasting about 70 days, during which 10 surviving hostages would be released in two phases - five on the first day and five on the seventh day.
The Israeli official further said that Israel is committed to the framework presented by US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
Last Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his first press conference since December, "If there's an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire to return hostages, we're prepared for it.
He also added that 20 hostages are still alive in Gaza and pledged to bring them home.
Strikes On Gaza Can No Longer Be Justified, Says German Chancellor
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Israel's recent attacks on Gaza were having a huge humanitarian impact on civilians and could no longer be justified as a fight against the Hamas terror group.
"Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism," he said in a televised interview, accessed by the Times of Israel.
Israel-Gaza Conflict
Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 251 others in the Oct. 7 assault. About a third of the surviving hostages are believed to be alive.
More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's 19-month assault, according to Gaza's health ministry, which says most of the dead were women and children.
