OAN Staff Blake Wolf
2:00 PM – Monday, October 28, 2024
The President of Egypt, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, announced a proposal on Sunday that detailed a two-day ceasefire plan involving Israel and Hamas, which includes a hostage exchange.
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El-Sissi proposed the plan in Cairo, Egypt. It includes the release of four hostages held in Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and a push for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
During the announcement, El-Sisi added that negotiations should continue within 10 days of enacting the proposed ceasefire deal, in hopes of bridging together a permanent ceasefire.
The new development marks the first publicly proposed deal from the Egyptian president, who has played a significant role in mediating talks between both sides, along with The United States and Qatar.
The ongoing fighting has continued for 11 months, barring November’s temporary ceasefire, which resulted in the release of 105 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The announcement follows a Sunday memorial for the victims of the October 7th Hamas attack, which prompted the currently escalating tensions.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke at the event, stating “not every goal can be achieved through military operations.” He continued, arguing that “Returning the hostages to their homes demands painful compromises.”
“We must do this for the hostages, for their families, for the soldiers who fell for this goal, for the IDF’s legacy, and in the name of the Jewish and national ethos,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Mossad chief David Barnea flew to Doha on Sunday to meet with CIA Director Bill Burns and the Qatari Prime Minister, reportedly to discuss a possible hostage release deal.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated that the officials will work out “the various possibilities to restart negotiations for the release of hostages from Hamas captivity, based on recent developments.”
Israeli and Western leaders have also recently attempted to revitalize a hostage exchange deal following the death of Hamas leader and October 7th mastermind Yahya Sinwar.
The Times of Israel reported that Hamas is willing to accept the Egyptian proposal, with the contingency being that the Israeli government agree to a permanent cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners, in return for the release of all of the Israeli hostages.
An unnamed Hamas source reportedly claimed, “We will listen to the offers [of the negotiators], but for our part, we prefer a comprehensive deal that takes place in one stage and ends the war once and for all, in return for a prisoner exchange under which all Israeli captives are released in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails,” according to The Times of Israel.
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