Egypt is proposing a plan to end the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, with both sides not yet rejecting the idea. Israel’s war cabinet met on Monday night, Dec. 25, to discuss the multi-step plan, according to Israeli officials.
According to reports, the proposal calls for a pause in the fighting of up to two weeks to allow for the release of 40 to 50 Israeli hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, in exchange for the release of approximately 140 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
The pause would be followed by the creation of a transitional government for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, consisting of several Palestinian factions, including Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Israel and Hamas would then negotiate an “all-for-all” deal that would see the release of all remaining hostages in return for all Palestinian prisoners, Israel’s military withdrawing from Gaza, and Palestinian militant groups halting rocket attacks at Israel.
Hamas must be destroyed, Gaza must be demilitarized, and Palestinian society must be deradicalized.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister
The Egyptian plan was shared with Israel, Hamas, Qatar, and the U.S. last week. Though a proposal may be in discussion, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no sign of a possible deal in the works, telling troops in Northern Gaza on Monday, Dec. 25, “We’re not stopping, the war continues until the end.”
In an op-ed piece published in The Wall Street Journal later in the day, Netanyahu outlined three things he sees are needed to be accomplished for peace: “Hamas must be destroyed, Gaza must be demilitarized, and Palestinian society must be deradicalized.”
