An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the U.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to Gaza ceasefire talks after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff called its response “selfish.” The group said it has shown flexibility and remains open to further negotiations.

One of the main obstacles to the Gaza ceasefire talks has been Hamas's insistence that the release of captives in Gaza leads to a permanent end to the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected that, insisting that Hamas be fully destroyed - even after the captives are released.

Since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, relations between Israelis and Palestinians have deteriorated massively. Many proposals for a path to a peaceful future exist, but none today offer any appreciable chance of success.

President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was heading to the Middle East as the U.S. tries once again to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, a breakthrough that has eluded the administration for months as conditions worsen in Gaza.

One of the amendments in Hamas' latest response has called for the exclusion of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) from participating in future aid distribution and delivery efforts, instead, relying on the previous mechanism led by the United Nations and other human rights organisations.

Hamas has given mediators a partial and initial response to proposals for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal but was expected to shortly hand them a final reply, sources told The National on Wednesday.