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Egypt's plan to end Israel-Hamas war: Hostage release and Palestine's government
Israel-Hamas War: The proposal has also been worked out with Qatar and has been presented to Israel, Hamas, the United States and European governments.
Egypt has put forward an initial proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war with a cease-fire, a phased hostage release and creation of a Palestinian government of experts who would administer the Gaza Strip, a senior Egyptian official said as per Associated Press.
The proposal has also been worked out with Qatar and has been presented to Israel, Hamas, the United States and European governments, the report claimed. The war has devastated large parts of Gaza and has killed more than 20,400 Palestinians, displacing almost all of the territory’s 2.3 million people. The response was sparked when Hamas stormed communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostages.
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What has Egypt proposed?
The Egyptian proposal includes an ambitious bid to end the war and it also lays out a plan after the war ends. The proposal calls for an initial cease-fire of up to two weeks during which Hamas would free 40 to 50 hostages in return for the release of 120-150 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, the Egyptian official said as per Associated Press. Egypt and Qatar would also work with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to agree on the establishment of a government of experts.
The government would rule Gaza for a transitional period as Palestinian factions settle their disputes and agree on a roadmap to hold presidential and parliamentary elections. Egyptian officials discussed the outline of the proposal with Ismail Haniyeh, the Qatar-based political leader of Hamas, who visited Cairo last week.
What Hamas said on the proposal?
News agency Reuters reported that Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad rejected the Egyptian proposal to relinquish power in the Gaza Strip in return for a permanent ceasefire. Both groups rejected offering any concessions beyond the possible release of more hostages, it reported.
