The Egyptian authorities have presented a three-stage plan to resolve the conflict over the Gaza Strip to both Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, according to sources reported by Asharq News.
The first stage of the plan proposes a two-week humanitarian truce in the Gaza enclave, extendable as needed. During this pause, Hamas would release 40 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and the elderly. In return, Israel would release 120 Palestinian women and children from its prisons, halt hostilities, withdraw tanks, and provide additional food and medical supplies to Gaza.
The second phase entails launching a Palestinian national dialogue mediated by Egypt to address the divide in Palestinian leadership and establish a government of technocrats. This government would be responsible for humanitarian aid, reconstructing Gaza, and preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections in Palestine.
The third and final stage envisions a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, and other groups in the enclave would release all Israeli military personnel. The parties would also determine the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel, including those detained after October 7. The agreement would involve the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the return of displaced persons to Gaza City and the northern parts of the enclave.
According to Asharq, a Hamas delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh, the movement's politburo chief, returned to Doha from Cairo for consultations on Egypt's proposed settlement plan. Haniyeh had arrived in Egypt on December 20 for talks on issues related to the release of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli hostages, humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, and the future reconstruction of the enclave.
The conflict stems from the split in Palestinian leadership that occurred after the Oslo talks in the 1990s. Hamas, a movement outside the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), won the majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections in 2006. Subsequently, conflict erupted, leading to the division of Palestine into two parts: the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, and the West Bank, controlled by the PLO led by Fatah. The PLC elections have been postponed multiple times.
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Based on materials from TASS