ISTANBUL

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday that Cairo is working with Qatar and the US to revive a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

“We are currently making great efforts in full cooperation with Qatar and US,” Abdelatty told a press conference in Cairo.

“The main goal is to return to the original proposal – a 60-day cease-fire – along with the release of some captives and some Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza without obstacles or conditions,” he added.

Egyptian media earlier reported that a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks on the proposal, which comes as Israel pushes ahead with a phased reoccupation strategy approved by its Security Cabinet last week.

Under the Israeli plan, the first stage would force around 1 million residents out of Gaza City to the south, encircle the city, and launch incursions into residential areas. A second stage would involve seizing central refugee camps, many of which have already suffered widespread destruction during the war.

“There are intensive Egyptian efforts and contacts with all parties to overcome differences in order to reach a temporary truce in Gaza,” the state-affiliated Al-Qahera News channel said, citing Egyptian sources.

“The talks aim to once again push towards resuming the negotiations and making progress towards reaching a cease-fire agreement,” they added.

The sources said the new ceasefire push comes in parallel with Egyptian efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Early Tuesday, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said that Israeli negotiators are divided over the possibility of making progress in talks to reach a prisoner swap and cease-fire agreement in Gaza.

KAN reported that the Hamas delegation in Cairo is discussing “a new initiative that includes a comprehensive deal to release 50 Israelis (both captives and bodies) in exchange for the disarmament of the movement.”

There was no immediate comment from Hamas on the report.

On Monday, Abdelatty said that Cairo, working in coordination with Qatar and the US, is seeking a “comprehensive agreement” that would halt the Israeli war and secure a full deal between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group.

“There is still a chance to reach a complete agreement if goodwill and political will exist,” Abdelatty told a press conference in Cairo, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and severely restricting humanitarian aid, pushing the enclave into famine.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed nearly 61,600 victims since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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