Israel has recalled its negotiating team from Doha for consultations following Hamas's latest response to a ceasefire proposal, which a senior Israeli official stated clearly indicates a lack of desire to reach an agreement. White House envoy Steve Witkoff also announced the team's return, citing Hamas's apparent lack of coordination and good faith, and indicated that alternative options for hostage release and stability in Gaza would be considered. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office expressed appreciation for the efforts of mediators Qatar and Egypt, as well as Witkoff, while a senior Hamas source told Reuters that a deal remains possible but could take days due to alleged Israeli stalling. Hamas's response reportedly includes demands for the release of 200 Palestinians serving life sentences and an additional 2,000 detained after October 7, in exchange for 10 live hostages. This contrasts with the original proposal, which Israel had agreed to, that included the release of 125 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,200 others detained in Gaza. A senior Israeli official described Hamas's prisoner demands as unacceptable. Mediators were reportedly surprised by Israel's decision to withdraw the delegation, suggesting it would have been better for them to stay and finalize a deal. Meanwhile, an Israeli official stated that the Israeli delegation will only return to Qatar when there is a feasible prospect of finalizing an agreement, adding that Hamas's response does not allow for progress without greater flexibility. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated that limited aid is entering Gaza due to a lack of cooperation from the international community, dismissing Hamas's "famine narrative" as a tactic in hostage talks. Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza, reported approximately 1,000 trucks of aid are awaiting collection by the UN and aid groups on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Research on flour prices in Gaza indicates a potential hunger crisis, with prices per 25kg sack reportedly rising significantly since October 7, reaching 875 shekels by late May and potentially 3,750 shekels per sack based on recent reports. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has offered to deliver aid stuck at the Kerem Shalom Crossing, stating that the UN has failed to deliver it. The IDF invited international journalists to Kerem Shalom to observe that hundreds of aid trucks have entered Gaza with Israeli approval but remain undelivered due to the UN's refusal to distribute them. The IDF stated that Hamas and the UN are preventing aid from reaching civilians. Reports also indicate that the Israeli Defense Forces eliminated Muhammad Al-Amor, a Hamas element involved in smuggling arms and military equipment into Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Separately, former War Cabinet member Benny Gantz stated that international pressure on Israel, particularly regarding claims of starvation or genocide, is perceived and peddled by Hamas as negotiation leverage, hindering prospects for a ceasefire and hostage release. An Israeli ultranationalist minister, Eliyahu, expressed a desire for "All Gaza will be Jewish" and stated the government is pushing for Gaza's eradication. In a separate incident, eight IDF soldiers were injured in a ramming attack in central Israel, with the suspect at large. The military also reported testing on a tunnel road and acknowledged the trauma sustained by soldiers, with one soldier, Daniel Edri, who died by suicide due to trauma, to be remembered as a fallen soldier.
