Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject Egypt’s proposal to give up power in Gaza in return for ceasefire – report

The Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups have reportedly rejected an Egyptian proposal that would see Hamas give up control of the Strip in return for a permanent ceasefire.

According to two Egyptian sources cited by the Reuters news agency, the plan has been rejected by both of the terror groups.

Hamas and PIJ are said to be unwilling to discuss any concessions beyond the release of hostages.

“Hamas seeks to end the Israeli aggression against our people, the massacres and genocide, and we discussed with our Egyptian brothers the ways to do that,” a Hamas official who recently visited Cairo tells Reuters.

“We also said that the aid for our people must keep going and must increase and it must reach all the population in the north and the south,” the official says. “After the aggression is stopped and the aid increased we are ready to discuss prisoner swaps.”

The first stage of the Egyptian plan, which is backed by Qatar, would be a two-week halt to the fighting, extendable to three or four, in exchange for the release of 40 hostages. In return, Israel would release 120 Palestinian security prisoners of the same categories. During this time, hostilities would stop and humanitarian aid would enter Gaza.

The second phase would see an Egypt-sponsored “Palestinian national talk” aimed at ending the division between Palestinian factions — mainly the Fatah party-dominated Palestinian Authority and Hamas — and leading to the formation of a technocratic government in the West Bank and Gaza that would oversee the reconstruction of the Strip and pave the way for Palestinian parliamentary and presidential elections.

The third stage would include a comprehensive ceasefire, the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, including soldiers, in return for a to-be-determined number of Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel would withdraw its forces from cities in the Gaza Strip and allow displaced Gazans from the enclave’s north to return to their homes.

The war began with the deadly Hamas onslaught on October 7, when thousands of terrorists stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing around 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched an aerial campaign and subsequent ground operation, vowing to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip and end its rule, while minimizing civilian casualties.

On Sunday, Hebrew-media reports said Israeli officials had not outright rejected the proposal.

Gianluca Pacchiani contributed to this report.