Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Sunday that his country has proposed a two-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, during which four hostages held in Gaza would be freed, some Palestinian prisoners would be released, and humanitarian aid would be delivered to the besieged area.
Speaking in Cairo, Sisi said the proposal aims to “move the situation forward,” adding that once the two-day ceasefire goes into effect, negotiations would continue to make it permanent. There was no immediate response from Israel or Hamas, as the latest talks were expected to take place in Qatar, another key mediator in the conflict.
This marks the first time Egypt’s president has publicly proposed such a plan since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The last ceasefire, which lasted a week in November, saw the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
In an effort to end the fighting and ease regional tensions, Israel’s Mossad chief was traveling to Doha on Sunday for talks with the prime minister of Qatar and the CIA chief. The tensions have escalated in recent weeks, with Israel now at war with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and openly attacking their backer, Iran, for the first time this weekend.
Iran’s supreme leader said on Sunday that the strikes “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
During a government memorial for the Hebrew anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant acknowledged that “not every goal can be achieved through only military operations,” and that “painful compromises will be required” to secure the return of the remaining hostages.
At the same event, protesters disrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shouting “Shame on you.” Many Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible for the failures that led to the attack and for not yet bringing home the remaining hostages.
