US ceasefire proposal offers no guarantees for ceasefire in Gaza: Hamas official

Hamas has submitted a response to the ceasefire proposal brokered last week by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, while a senior official of the Palestinian armed group said the proposal is unacceptable for offering no guarantees for ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on Saturday, Hamas said that it had submitted a response to the U.S. ceasefire proposal to Witkoff.

According to the document under negotiation, Hamas will release 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, said the statement.

Meanwhile, Hamas demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave, and assistance to Gazan residents.

Before the statement was made, Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said Thursday that the U.S. framework did "not respond to any of our people's demands."

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Naim said that Hamas and Witkoff had agreed upon the proposal and regarded it as the basis for negotiations a few days ago, but later the special envoy brought back a new proposal which had nothing to do with the previous version after he went to the Israelis to get their response.

Naim said the new proposal provided guarantees neither for a 60-day ceasefire and the transportation of humanitarian aid into Gaza, nor for an end to the war, a permanent ceasefire, or the withdrawal of the Israeli army.

Hamas cannot accept such a proposal as the basis for further negotiations, he said.

Although the proposal failed to meet Hamas's demands, the group still responded in a positive and responsible way, he added.

The U.S. side deplored the Hamas response, with Witkoff posting on social media later on Saturday, noting that it is"totally unacceptable and only takes us backward."

"Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week," said Witkoff.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office made a statement on Saturday night, saying that while Israel has agreed to the updated Witkoff proposal, Hamas continues to adhere to its refusal.

Citing Witkoff's remarks, the statement said Hamas's response is completely unacceptable and takes the situation backward, but Israel will continue its efforts to get its hostages back and defeat Hamas.

US ceasefire proposal offers no guarantees for ceasefire in Gaza: Hamas official

US ceasefire proposal offers no guarantees for ceasefire in Gaza: Hamas official

US ceasefire proposal offers no guarantees for ceasefire in Gaza: Hamas official

US ceasefire proposal offers no guarantees for ceasefire in Gaza: Hamas official

US ceasefire proposal offers no guarantees for ceasefire in Gaza: Hamas official

The world's first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine was successfully installed in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, making it the first offshore wind turbine of this kind in the country to be installed, according to its developer China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG).

Once connected to the grid, the wind turbine is expected to generate more than 80 million kWh of electricity annually, which can meet the yearly power demand of around 44,000 households, while saving approximately 24,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 64,000 tons.

The wind turbine is located more than 30 kilometers offshore in waters exceeding 40 meters in depth. Installation faced multiple challenges, including a narrow construction window during the monsoon season, complex sea conditions and high risks associated with high-altitude operations.

To overcome the difficulties, the construction team deployed a fourth-generation wind power installation vessel with a lifting capacity of 2,000 tons. Supported by high-precision positioning and intelligent pile-driving control systems, the team steadily lifted three 147-meter-long blades to a height of 174 meters, accurately connecting them to the hub. The completed rotor has a diameter of 300 meters and a swept area equivalent to nearly 10 standard football fields.

The turbine is part of a national key research and development program, with all its major components independently developed and produced in China.

World’s first 20-MW offshore wind turbine installed in waters near Fujian