A Hamas delegation is due in Cairo on Friday, December 29, to give its "observations" about an Egyptian plan for a ceasefire that would end the war in Gaza, a Hamas official said. Sources close to Hamas told Agence France-Presse that Cairo's three-stage plan provides for renewable ceasefires, a staggered release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and ultimately a ceasefire to end the war sparked by the deadly October 7 attack on Israel.
Diaa Rashwan, who heads Egypt's State Information Services, confirmed on Thursday that Cairo had put forward "a framework intended to bring together the views of all parties concerned, with the aim of ending the shedding of Palestinian blood, stopping the aggression against the Gaza Strip, and restoring regional peace and security." "This proposal comprises three successive and interconnected stages leading to a ceasefire," Rashwan's statement said. Rashwan said Egypt had not yet received a response to its initiative which would be made public "in detail" when Cairo had received feedback from all concerned.
A Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Thursday about the planned visit by the Qatar-based Hamas political office. Qatar, backed by Egypt and the United States, last month helped broker a first week-long truce in which 80 Israeli hostages were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. "A high-level delegation from the Hamas political office will visit Cairo tomorrow to meet Egyptian officials and give the response of the Palestinian factions, including several observations, to their plan," the official said. The official said these observations focus on "the modalities of the planned exchanges and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be freed, as well as obtaining guarantees for a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza."
The plan was put last week to officials of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which is also battling Israeli forces in the territory, when the chiefs of both movements visited the Egyptian capital. It also provides for a Palestinian government of technocrats after talks involving "all Palestinian factions," which would be responsible for governing and rebuilding in post-war Gaza.
"We are in contact [with mediators] until this moment," declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting on Thursday in Tel Aviv with some of the families. "I can’t elaborate on the details, we are working to return everyone," he said.
More than 80% of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been driven from their homes, the UN says, and many now live in cramped shelters or makeshift tents in the far south around Rafah. They are suffering chronic shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine, with only limited aid entering the Palestinian coastal territory. An Israeli siege imposed after October 7, following years of crippling blockade, has deprived Gazans of access to resources. The severe shortages have been only sporadically eased by humanitarian aid convoys entering primarily via Egypt. Last week the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale."
UN World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on Thursday for "urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril" facing besieged Gaza's people, including "terrible injuries, acute hunger and [...] severe risk of disease."
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attack, which left about 1,140 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally based on Israeli figures. Israel's relentless aerial bombardment and ground invasion have killed at least 21,320 people, mostly women and children, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry.
According to the prime minister's office, at least 23 of the approximately 129 hostages believed to be held in Gaza have either died or been killed in captivity. The families of missing hostages have drawn widespread support in Israel as they press the government to reach a new cease-fire deal to bring home their loved ones.
On Thursday, a hard-hit Israeli kibbutz announced the death of an American-Canadian-Israeli woman, the oldest person who had been thought to still be held hostage in Gaza. The death of Judith Weinstein, 70, was announced days after her husband, Gad Haggai, 73, was also declared dead. It was not immediately clear how Israeli authorities determined her death.
Meanwhile, Israel has given preliminary approval to Cyprus for a maritime humanitarian corridor to ship aid to the besieged and war-torn Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. The proposal, in the works for more than a month, aims to deliver large quantities of badly needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Cyprus has proposed establishing a humanitarian corridor to collect, inspect and store aid on the east Mediterranean island before shipping it to Gaza, some 210 nautical miles away. The initiative aims to enhance humanitarian relief to Gaza by importing large volumes by ship instead of the limited deliveries by truck through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Under the plan, the aid would be checked in Cyprus by a joint committee, including representatives from Israel. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said on Thursday Israel had tentatively approved a system to allow international aid to be checked "with Israeli supervision" in Cyprus before being delivered direct to Gaza. "There's a basic authorization to use this route, but there are still some logistical problems that are waiting to be solved," Haiat told AFP.