Egypt floats new Israel-Hamas deal for release of hostage & extended ceasefire: Report – Firstpost

Egypt has floated a new proposal for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to a report.

Following decisive blows in recent months to Hamas and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, negotiations have resumed in recent weeks amid reports of Hamas showing increasing flexibility.

The Times of Israel has quoted an Israeli official as saying that Egypt has drafted a new proposal and conveyed it to Hamas. The official said that the proposal includes the release of hostages in lieu of an extended ceasefire and release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The proposal notably does not call for a permanent end of the war.

Hamas has not yet publicly reacted to the report or indicated it is willing to accept anything short of an end to the war.

What does Egypt’s proposal contain?

Egypt’s offer calls for the release of hostages in the ‘humanitarian’ category in lieu of an extended ceasefire and release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, said an Israeli official to The Times of Israel.

The ‘humanitarian’ category includes the elderly, children, women, ill and badly wounded hostages.

Hamas and allied terrorist groups abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack and took them to Gaza as hostages. Of them, 105 were released in a weekslong ceasefire last year and eight were rescued in multiple missions. Bodies of some hostages have also been recovered. Around 100 are still believed to be in captivity in Gaza, of whom a third are believed to be dead.

Even though Israel has not drafted the proposal, it is fully open to discussing it, said the official.

While Hamas has not yet indicated openness to the proposal, the official said that Israel would send a delegation to Cairo for talks if Hamas would be willing to discuss it.

The official said Qatar is also in the loop regarding the proposal.

Last month, Qatar had withdrawn from the mediation between Israel and Hamas over lack of serious participation from the two sides. The official said that Qatar would join the process if progress would be made.

Both sides agree to broad outline of agreement: Trump’s adviser

Amid reports of progress in Israel-Hamas indirect talks, US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East advisor, Massad Boulos, has said that “both sides have agreed on the broad outlines of an agreement”.

The outgoing Joe Biden administration has kept Trump and his advisers in the loop about peace efforts. Last month,
Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Qatar and Israel to meet the leaders regarding peace efforts in the region.

Boulos told the French outlet Le Point: “The war is practically over. There is practically no more significant military activity. The only issue that remains is the hostages, and the parties have already agreed on several occasions on an exchange between hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

“The main lines of the agreement have already been established and there are only very small details to be settled on a few names, the number of people released [on the Palestinian side] and the period over which the exchanges should take place.”