Egyptian officials said to be cautiously optimistic over potential renewal of hostage-ceasefire deal

Egyptian officials tell Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar outlet that Cairo is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of progress for the renewal of the hostage-ceasefire deal, especially with the approach of the Ramadan-ending holiday of Eid al-Fitr,

The officials tell the outlet, which is affiliated with the Hezbollah terror group, that Egypt is working to accelerate the negotiations by presenting “realistic proposals that enjoy American and Qatari support.”

Sources familiar with the negotiations tell Al-Akhbar that the Egyptian proposal includes “a temporary ceasefire lasting approximately 50 days, in exchange for the release of five Israeli [hostages] and a number of Palestinian prisoners, along with the activation of a mechanism for the entry of sufficient quantities of aid [into Gaza], including food, medical supplies, and basic necessities for civilian relief.”

A senior Egyptian official tells Al-Akhbar: “Cairo is seeking that all parties, including Washington, push Israel toward making genuine concessions that would guarantee reaching an agreement.”

Israeli television reported yesterday that mediators see a willingness among some senior Hamas members to release a small number of hostages to secure a truce during Eid al-Fitr.

The Kan public broadcaster said that the freed hostages would include American-Israeli IDF lone soldier Edan Alexander, with the United States and Qatar intensively involved in the proposal.

Another Kan reporter said the deal was less about Eid al-Fitr and more to do with the protests that have broken out against Hamas throughout Gaza over the past several days.

Hamas wants to crack down on those participating in the protests, and it cannot do so due to Israel’s resumed operations in Gaza, as the military is targeting terror operatives that it spots out in the open, according to the report.

Kan’s report came a day after a senior Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that Qatar presented Hamas with a new US proposal to restore the ceasefire through the release of Alexander, in exchange for which US President Donald Trump would issue a statement calling for calm in Gaza and the resumption of negotiations for a permanent end to the fighting sparked by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.