CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt on Monday made a new proposal to restore the Gaza ceasefire deal suggesting that Hamas release five Israeli hostages each week, with Israel implementing the second phase of the truce after the first week
The proposal comes following an escalation in violence after Israel resumed air and ground operations in Gaza last Tuesday, ending a two-month period of relative calm.
Both the US and Hamas agreed to the proposal, the security sources said, but Israel had not yet responded, Reuters news agency reported on Monday citing security sources.
According to reports Egypt’s proposal also includes a timeline for the release of all hostages in exchange for a timeline for Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, with US guarantees backing the plan.
Hamas has accused Israel of violating the terms of the January ceasefire agreement but has expressed willingness to negotiate a new ceasefire and is currently reviewing proposals from US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Egypt rejects liquidation of Palestinian cause
Meanwhile, Egypt has denied media reports suggesting it will accept hundreds of thousands of ethnically cleansed Palestinians from Gaza in exchange for economic aid.
In a statement, the State Information Service said the forced displacement of Gaza people “represents a liquidation of the Palestinian cause and an imminent threat to Egyptian national security”.
It reiterated Egypt’s absolute rejection “of any attempt to forcibly or voluntarily displace Palestinians from Gaza to any location outside the enclave, particularly to Egypt”.
“Egyptian foreign policy has never been based on bargaining supreme Egyptian and Arab interests for anything, whatever its type,” the statement said.
On Friday, Egypt dismissed Israeli media reports alleging Cairo is preparing to temporarily relocate 500,000 Palestinians to a designated city in North Sinai as part of a plan to rebuild Gaza.
Israel’s bombardment in Gaza continues
According to the Health Ministry, the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has reached 50,082, with 113,408 injured amid intensified Israeli bombardment.
At least 61 people have been killed in the past 24 hours, and four bodies recovered from the debris, according to the ministry.
EU calls for restating ceasefire
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday during a visit to Jerusalem said: The fundamental steps here are restating the ceasefire, ensuring the release of all hostages, and resuming the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza with the goal of a permanent ceasefire.
“The European Union can help, whether through restating our Rafah border-crossing mission or providing more humanitarian assistance,” she added.
Kallas, who visited Egypt on Sunday, said the EU welcomed the Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza but said more needed to be done on issues such as cost-sharing and the future of governance.
“We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza,” the diplomat said.
Kallas is due to hold talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in the occupied West Bank later on Monday.
