Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced on Sunday that Egypt has proposed a temporary ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate an exchange of hostages and prisoners, with the aim of extending the truce into a lasting peace. “We proposed a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for two days to exchange four hostages (Israeli) for some prisoners (Palestinian), and then negotiations will take place over ten days to turn the ceasefire into a permanent truce,” Al-Sisi stated during a press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Cairo.
President Tebboune voiced strong support for the Egyptian initiative, affirming Algeria’s backing of Egypt’s efforts to establish stability in the conflict-ridden enclave. The proposal comes amid increasing concerns over Israeli citizens reportedly held by Hamas in Gaza, with Israel estimating approximately 101 hostages remain captive. Meanwhile, efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a ceasefire and facilitate a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas have so far been unsuccessful, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined to pause the military operations.
The ongoing Israeli offensive, launched following a Hamas attack last year, has devastated Gaza, with local health authorities reporting nearly 43,000 fatalities, predominantly women and children, and over 100,000 injured. Additionally, the extensive bombing campaign has displaced most of Gaza’s population, who now suffer from critical shortages of essentials due to an ongoing blockade.
As the humanitarian crisis escalates, Israel faces a case at the International Court of Justice, where it stands accused of genocide in its Gaza operations.
