Hamas delegation to discuss Egypt's Gaza ceasefire plan

AFP , Thursday 28 Dec 2023

A Hamas delegation is due in Cairo Friday to give its "observations" about an Egyptian plan for a ceasefire that would end the war in Gaza, a Hamas official said.

File Photo: Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar. AP

The plan was put last week to officials of Hamas and Islamic Jihad when the chiefs of both movements visited the Egyptian capital.

Sources close to Hamas say Cairo's three-stage plan provides for renewable ceasefires, a staggered release of captives held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and ultimately a ceasefire to end the war sparked by the deadly 7 October Al-Aqsa Flood operation on Israel.

It also provides for a Palestinian government of technocrats after talks involving "all Palestinian factions", which would be responsible for governing and rebuilding post- post-Israeli war on Gaza.

The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Thursday about the planned visit by the Qatar-based Hamas political office.

"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".

Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, last month helped broker a first week-long truce in which 80 Israeli captives were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

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, to end 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.