Ceasefire proposal enters decisive phase amid Egyptian-Qatari-US efforts

Egypt Today

a day ago

World Leaders attend the Cairo Summit for Peace to reach a ceasefire in Gaza Strip , which is being attacked by Israeli occupation forces
CAIRO – 30 May 2025: The residents of the Gaza Strip are on edge, awaiting the decisive stage of an agreement on a ceasefire proposal between Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian resistance factions in the enclave. The proposal outlines a 60-day cessation of hostilities, with the possibility of extension, coinciding with the commencement of negotiations for a permanent end to the war.
Crucially, US President Donald Trump is reportedly guaranteeing Tel Aviv's adherence to the agreed-upon ceasefire period. Furthermore, the mediating guarantors – Egypt, Qatar, and the United States – are ensuring the continuation of the 60-day truce, as well as any agreed-upon extensions. They are also committed to facilitating serious discussions on the necessary agreements for a permanent ceasefire and are exerting maximum efforts to ensure the successful completion of negotiations.
The proposal reportedly entails the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages from the "58 hostages" slated for release within the first and seventh days. According to the proposal, half of the living and deceased hostages (5 living and 9 deceased) would be released on the first day of the agreement, while the remaining half (5 living and 9 deceased) would be freed on the seventh day.
Humanitarian aid is set to flow into Gaza immediately upon Hamas's agreement to the ceasefire. Any agreements reached regarding aid for the civilian population will be respected throughout the duration of the truce.
The White House has announced Israel's agreement to the Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt told reporters that Witkoff and President Trump presented a ceasefire proposal to Hamas, asserting that Israel "supported this proposal and signed it before it was sent to the Palestinian movement."
On the other side, Hamas announced that it had received the new proposal presented by Witkoff for a ceasefire in Gaza through mediators. The movement added that it is currently studying the proposal. In a statement, Hamas said: "The movement's leadership is studying this proposal responsibly and in a way that achieves the interests of our people, provides them relief, and achieves a permanent ceasefire in the Strip."
On the ground, the Israeli occupation issued new "evacuation orders" in Jabalia al-Balad and al-Atatra in the northern Gaza Governorate, as well as in the Shuja'iyya, al-Daraj, and al-Zaytoun neighborhoods in Gaza City.
Nearly 20 Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured on Friday in Israeli shelling on Jabalia al-Nazla in the northern Gaza Strip and the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south, including six people as a result of bombing a gathering of citizens in the north of the Strip.
Palestinian media reported the death of at least seven citizens and the injury of others as a result of the occupation bombing a house belonging to the Nasr family in Jabalia al-Nazla in the northern Strip.
They added that three other citizens were killed as a result of the Israeli occupation forces bombing two tents sheltering displaced people west of Khan Yunis, and were transferred to Nasser Medical Complex. They pointed out that two citizens were killed and others injured in the occupation's bombing of a civilian vehicle in the Abbassan al-Kabira town east of Khan Yunis city.
They also indicated the death of one citizen and the injury of others by occupation bullets in the al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip. The occupation army also reportedly blew up residential homes in the al-Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City and in the al-Qarara town north of Khan Yunis.
Regarding the humanitarian situation in the Strip, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) called for allowing the flow of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip without obstacles or interruption, following the exacerbation of the humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation authorities for 20 months.
The agency said in a statement on Friday that its warehouse in the Jordanian capital, Amman, contains aid sufficient for more than 200,000 citizens for a full month, including flour, food parcels, hygiene supplies, blankets, and medicines, and that it is ready for immediate dispatch.
It explained that "the warehouse is only a three-hour drive from Gaza," in reference to the suffocating Israeli blockade that hinders the arrival of supplies.
UNRWA stressed that the humanitarian needs in Gaza are enormous and require urgent intervention, calling for the opening of crossings and ensuring the regular and continuous flow of aid to save lives.
It said in this regard that "Gaza needs massive aid and supplies must be allowed to flow unimpeded and uninterrupted."
The Gaza Strip has been suffering from a catastrophic humanitarian and relief crisis since Israel closed the crossings on March 2nd, preventing the entry of food, medicine, aid, and fuel.