Said Amouri and Ahmed Asmar
05 April 2025•Update: 06 April 2025
JERUSALEM/ANKARA
Israeli media said Friday that Egypt submitted a new proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip, along with a prisoner exchange.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that Cairo "has put forward a new proposal regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, aiming to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas."
It noted that "the new proposal was submitted by Egypt within the past 24 hours to reach a consensus between Israel and Hamas."
While the broadcaster did not mention any terms or details, it, however, said the proposal falls somewhere between the original mediators' -- Egypt and Qatar -- offer, which included the release of five living prisoners, and Israel’s proposal, which conditioned the release of 11 living prisoners in Gaza.
Egypt has yet to comment on the report.
Israel estimates that 59 hostages are still held in Gaza, with at least 22 alive.
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza on March 18, killing 1,249 victims and injuring 3,022 despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas that took hold in January.
More than 50,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israel's military onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November 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.
