An Egyptian plan aimed at halting the ongoing conflict in Gaza proposes that five living hostages would be freed on the first day of a renewed ceasefire, with an additional five hostages released every 7 to 10 days, according to two foreign diplomats familiar with the proposal, who shared the details with The Times of Israel on Wednesday.
One of the hostages, Edan Alexander, a dual US-Israeli citizen, would be freed on the first day, the diplomats confirmed.
The Prime Minister’s Office, however, has denied receiving any new proposal from Egypt.
The diplomats explained that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would retreat to their positions from the first phase of the ceasefire that collapsed earlier this month. This would include a buffer zone inside the Gaza border, as well as Israeli troops positioned along the Philadelphi Corridor. However, the IDF had previously withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor, which splits the Gaza Strip.
Since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza last week, Israeli ground forces have retaken parts of the Netzarim corridor.
Under the Egyptian plan, both sides would engage in negotiations regarding the IDF’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, which borders Gaza on the Egyptian side.
The proposal also ensures that discussions for Phase Two of the ceasefire would take place, a step Israel had avoided despite initially agreeing to it.
In January, Israel and Hamas reached a temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange deal that lasted 42 days. This led to the release of 30 living hostages and the remains of eight killed captives by Hamas, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 prisoners, including terrorists, before the deal expired.
The initial framework of the deal had included a second phase that aimed to bring a permanent end to the conflict in return for the release of all remaining hostages and a significant number of Palestinian prisoners.
As part of the Egyptian plan, Israel would also agree to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
In recent weeks, mid-level Israeli officials have visited Cairo several times to discuss the proposal, one of the diplomats revealed.
Egypt formally presented this proposal last week, according to security sources who spoke with Reuters. A Hamas official responded positively to the idea.
The sources also noted that the US had agreed to Egypt’s plan, though an Israeli official denied receiving any such proposal.
An Israeli official stated that the country is still trying to secure Hamas’ approval for a separate US-backed plan, which is being led by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East. This plan does not call for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The narrower “Witkoff proposal,” which Hamas has rejected, would have extended the ceasefire until April 19 and included the release of five hostages in exchange for many Palestinian security prisoners.
Israel accepted the Witkoff proposal but sought the release of 11 living hostages.
“If Hamas does not agree to our terms,” the Israeli official warned, “we will continue to ramp up the pressure until Hamas capitulates,” including the threat of a large-scale ground operation in Gaza.
Last week, Netanyahu authorized the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, stating that negotiations would proceed under fire after Hamas refused to agree to an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire.
Hamas insists on adhering to the original terms of the deal, which was supposed to enter its second phase in early March.
For a month, Israel has refused to enter negotiations over the specific details of Phase Two, since its framework requires Israel to withdraw completely from Gaza and agree to a permanent end to the war.
Currently, terror groups in Gaza still hold 59 hostages, including 58 individuals captured during the October 7, 2023 attack, which was led by Hamas. Among them are the remains of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF. During a ceasefire from January to March, Hamas released 30 hostages—20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals—along with the bodies of eight Israeli captives.
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