Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq has said the group had accepted a mediator-backed ceasefire proposal in August—accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking progress—in response to U.S. President Donald Trump‘s demand it return all Israeli hostages.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas officials for comment.

Why It Matters

Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza has drawn unprecedented global backlash amid soaring civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian collapse, with some European states moving toward punitive steps.

As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.

What To Know

“We have expressed readiness for a comprehensive deal that would include the release of all prisoners in exchange for an agreed number of our detainees,” the senior Hamas official said in a statement addressing Trump.

Israel mobilized tens of thousands of reservists and renewed evacuation warnings Tuesday as it prepared to expand its Gaza City offensive, drawing backlash at home and abroad, according to The Associated Press.

Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ August 18 ceasefire proposal in a cabinet meeting that saw sharp divisions, stating that it was “not on the table” and that Trump had “pushed him not to accept a partial deal,” The Times of Israel reported Monday.

Egypt and Qatar, acting as mediators alongside the U.S., have expressed frustration over Israel’s lack of engagement with the latest ceasefire proposal.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared that famine has taken hold in Gaza, affecting more than half a million people—with catastrophic food insecurity already underway.

What People Are Saying

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, in a statement on Telegram: “We say to U.S. President Trump that Hamas agreed on August 18 to the mediators’ proposal, which is based on the [U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve] Witkoff proposal, while Netanyahu has not responded to it until now…We affirm that Netanyahu is the real obstacle to prisoner exchange deals and to a ceasefire…he wants a war with no end.”

President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Wednesday: “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!”

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X, on August 22: “Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’ murderers and rapists in Gaza—until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament.”

What Happens Next

The remaining hostages in Gaza face an extreme risk of death, while the WHO warns that by September, over 640,000 people in Gaza could face famine, with more than a million at severe risk of hunger.