US rejects Hamas response to truce deal

GAZA CITY — Hamas said on Saturday it had replied to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal, but Washington's main negotiator criticized the response as "totally unacceptable".

The Palestinian militant group said its response was positive while emphasizing the need for a permanent ceasefire — long a sticking point for Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed US envoy Steve Witkoff's assessment that the response was "unacceptable", accusing Hamas of clinging "to its rejectionism".