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Egypt’s newly proposed peace plan to end Israel’s war with the militant group Hamas is drawing mixed reactions.
Even so, neither side of the conflict appeared to reject the proposal altogether, sparking the possibility for new diplomatic talks.
International pressure for a cease-fire is growing amid the war’s climbing death toll in Gaza, where more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the violence since early October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel has largely rejected calls for a cease-fire, reiterating the country’s mission to destroy Hamas following the group’s Oct. 7 surprise assault on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Here’s a breakdown of Egypt’s proposed plan, including what it would entail and what each side and other government leaders are saying about it.
What is Egypt’s proposed peace plan?
Egypt’s proposal includes a phased hostage release and the creation of a Palestinian government of experts to temporarily lead the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied West Bank, a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press (AP).
The proposal calls for an initial cease-fire of up to two weeks where Palestinian militants could free 40 to 50 hostages, including women, the sick and elderly, in exchange for 120 to 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisoners, the Egyptian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the AP.
Negotiations would continue during the initial cease-fire to extend the truce and release more hostages and bodies held by Palestinian militants, the official said. He reportedly added Egypt and Qatar would work with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, to reach an agreement on the government of experts.
This government would control Gaza and the West Bank during a transitional period while Palestinian factions work on holding presidential and parliamentary elections, the official said.
Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas would discuss an “all-for-all” deal that would see the release of all of the remaining hostages in Gaza in return for all Palestinian prisoners in Israel, the official said. The comprehensive deal would also require Israel to withdraw its military from Gaza and Hamas to halt its rocket fire into Israel.
The Egyptian official told the news wire the details were discussed with Qatar and presented to Israel, Hamas, the U.S. and the European governments.
Egypt and Qatar have served as mediators between Israel and Hamas, and both played a large role in negotiating last month’s temporary cease-fire between Israel and Gaza that saw the release of about 100 hostages kidnapped during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks.
The temporary cease-fire also allowed multiple aid convoys to enter the territory, which was under siege and depleted of humanitarian resources.
Former NBC News correspondent Martin Fletcher agreed the proposal is the “first comprehensive plan” for ending Israel’s war with Hamas, calling it a “ray of light.” Fletcher said the proposal will hopefully spark conversations through intermediaries between the two sides, though it does not appear either side is taking the proposal “seriously” yet.
Plan initially receives cold reception
While the plan sparked renewed hopes of further diplomacy talks between Israel and Hamas, it was initially met with a cool reception from both sides, though neither side directly rejected it.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly comment on the proposal, he told members of his Likud party Monday he was focused on moving forward with Israel’s offensive, per the AP.
“We are expanding the fight in the coming days and this will be a long battle, and it isn’t close to finished,” he said Monday.
While Hamas did not officially response to the proposal, top official Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement that it will not negotiate without a “complete end to the aggression,” per the AP.
Rishq said Hamas would not agree to a “temporary or partial truce for a short period of time,” the news wire added.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is slated to go to Cairo soon to talk about the proposal and what a unified government running both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank may look like, The Wall Street Journal reported. The PLO, which Hamas is not part of, initially said it rejected certain parts of the proposal.
Israel considers proposal
Despite Netanyahu’s determination to move forward with the offensive, Israel’s war cabinet appears to be looking into Egypt’s proposal.
The Wall Street Journal reported Israel’s war cabinet took the proposal to a wider group of ministers, who are expected to review the proposal Tuesday night. Israeli officials noted it is unlikely it will agree to any deal that would allow Hamas to keep a role in Gaza after the war ends, the Journal reported.
A person familiar with the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting told the Journal the 14 voting members of the security cabinet are not expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday but will be briefed on hostage release efforts and other issues related to the war.
Danny Danon, a senior lawmaker in Netanyahu’s Likud party, reportedly said Israel is willing to discuss the proposal’s framework for the release of the hostages. As for the later stages, Danon said Israel is “very determined to make sure that Hamas will not be part of any future agreement in Gaza,” per the Journal.
What are people saying about it?
Neither President Biden nor National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby have spoken publicly about the matter. The Hill reached out to White House and the National Security Council for further comment Tuesday.
The White House declined AP’s initial request for comment about the proposal.
U.S. officials are in close contact with Egypt and Qatar about the release of more hostages as several proposals circulate on the negotiating table, a person familiar with the matter told the AP on the condition of anonymity. The person added the U.S. questions if the plan will have a breakthrough.
