Egypt Presents New Ceasefire Proposal to Hamas
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Egypt has presented Hamas with an updated proposal to free some of the roughly 100 remaining hostages and initiate a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli officials said.
After months of deadlock, Egyptian mediators hope the offer—reportedly including an extended truce during which hostages in the “humanitarian” category would be released—will break the stalemate. Hamas has yet to respond, according to The Times of Israel.
An official clarified that the updated deal given to Hamas by Egypt was not an Israeli proposal, as initially reported by Axios, but rather an Egyptian initiative that Israel is open to discussing.
The offer does not end the war, but aims to establish an extended ceasefire allowing the release of elderly, children, women, and severely wounded hostages.
Hamas has not yet indicated any willingness to engage with the proposal, the official said. Should it do so, Israel is prepared to dispatch a delegation to Cairo for negotiations. Until now, Hamas has consistently rejected any deals that do not include a permanent end to the war and a withdrawal of Israeli troops.
An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that U.S. President-Elect President Trump’s recent threat to punish those responsible if the hostages aren’t released before his inauguration could help efforts to secure their freedom: “Hamas takes it seriously, especially now that they are isolated in the campaign.”
The latest proposal given to Hamas closely resembles the phased plan discussed in August but now emphasizes completing the initial stage. According to two Israeli officials cited by Axios, Hamas appears more open to a partial deal.
Under the updated proposal, the first ceasefire stage could extend from the originally planned 42 days to as long as 60 days. During this period, all surviving female hostages, living men over 50, and those in serious medical condition would be released. Israel had demanded the return of 33 such hostages, though it now believes fewer remain alive.
Out of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 96 remain in Gaza–seven of whom are Americans—including the bodies of at least 34 individuals confirmed dead by the IDF.
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