Cairo, March 27, 2025: Egypt, a key mediator in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, has received positive indications from Israel regarding a new ceasefire proposal, security sources told Reuters on Thursday.
According to sources, the proposal includes a transitional phase during which Hamas would release five Israeli hostages each week.
An Egyptian security delegation has traveled to Qatar for further talks, focusing on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza and negotiating the release of remaining hostages, Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV reported.
A Palestinian official close to the negotiations described the latest offers as better than previous ones but cautioned that an immediate breakthrough was unlikely.
There was no immediate response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, though a spokesperson confirmed no Israeli delegation is currently in Doha.
Israel and Hamas continueto blame each other for the collapse of a previous ceasefire, which ended on March 18, following two months of relative calm.
Hamas, which still holds 59 of the more than 250 hostages taken during its October 7, 2023 attack, accuses Israel of jeopardizing mediation efforts. Meanwhile, Israel has stated it is open to extending the ceasefire temporarily in exchange for further hostage releases but without committing to a permanent end to the war at this stage.
Israel has also reaffirmed its stance that Hamas must not remain in power in Gaza and has expressed support for extending the ceasefire’s temporary first phase, a position backed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The conflict has taken a devastating toll on Gaza, with more than 50,000 Palestinians killed since fighting began, according to Gaza health officials.
