Hamas ceasefire demand ‘unacceptable’: US Middle East envoy

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas’s latest ceasefire demand is “unacceptable” and a “non-starter,” as negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Qatar. Mr Witkoff said during an interview on CNN that the group’s response came after “really positive conversation” at a recent Arab summit that was “game-changing, but for Hamas’s response”. “We spent a good deal of time talking about a bridge proposal that would see the release of five live hostages that included Idan Alexander and also see the release of a substantial amount of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails,” he said.