Egypt says it is awaiting responses on plan to end Gaza war

CAIRO - Egypt said it has put forward a proposal to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as it hosts a high-level Hamas delegation for talks to try and end the nearly 12-week war.

Egypt will give further details once responses to the plan have been received, Mr Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, said in a statement on Dec 28.

The proposal is an attempt “to bring viewpoints between all concerned parties closer, in an effort to stop Palestinian bloodshed and the aggression against the Gaza Strip, and restore peace and stability to the region”, he said.

Sources close to Hamas say Egypt’s three-stage plan provides for renewable ceasefires, a staggered release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and, ultimately, an end to the war.

A Hamas delegation was due in Cairo on Dec 29 to give its observations about the Egyptian plan, a Hamas official said.

Meanwhile, Israel continued to pound south and central Gaza, with the military saying its forces “are extending operation in Khan Younis” in the coastal territory’s south, and had “eliminated dozens of terrorists” across Gaza over the past 24 hours.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas – dubbed a “terrorist” group by the United States and European Union – in retaliation for the Oct 7 attack which left about 1,140 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Around 250 hostages were taken during the attack, more than half of whom remain captive.

Israel’s relentless aerial bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza have killed at least 21,507 people, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The figure includes 187 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said.

The Israeli army says 168 of its soldiers have been killed inside Gaza. REUTERS, AFP