Egypt 'hopeful' about new Gaza ceasefire proposal: Foreign Minister

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Apr 2024 17:33

Sameh Shoukry says the new ceasefire proposal has taken into account the positions of Hamas and "Israel" and has "tried to extract moderation."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry holds a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during Blinken's visit to Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, March 21, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein, Pool Photo via AP)

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he was "hopeful" about a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza as a Hamas delegation was due in the Egyptian capital Cairo for talks on Monday.

"There is a proposal on the table (and it's) up to the two sides to consider and accept," Shoukry said in Riyadh at the World Economic Forum.

"We are hopeful," he added, explaining that "the proposal has taken into account the positions of both sides and has tried to extract moderation."

"We are waiting to have a final decision. There are factors that will have an impact on both sides' decisions, but I hope that all will rise to the occasion," the top Egyptian diplomat pointed out.

His Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan later said a new deal would "be very, very positive... But it's absolutely necessary that any ceasefire be permanent, not temporary."

Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in mediation for a ceasefire agreement between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas for months.

Hamas announced that its negotiating delegation in Cairo is heading back home for consultations regarding the new ceasefire proposal presented by the mediators. The movement sent a letter to the remainder of the Palestinian Resistance factions regarding the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in the Egyptian capital.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Monday in Riyadh that the Israeli occupation has given the Palestinian Resistance a "very generous" offer to release the Israeli captives, which could potentially lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.

But Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) politburo member Ihsan Ataya told Al Mayadeen on Monday that the presented proposal is not as generous as the Americans, who are trying to deceive the world, are claiming.

"The proposed offer has major loopholes and malicious plots," Ataya stressed, noting that "the proposal presented is three and a half pages long and talks about details in three stages."

A high-ranking Palestinian Resistance official told Al Mayadeen days earlier that the Israeli occupation was forced to make some changes to its latest proposal.

The Palestinian official added that these amendments were made after the Israeli regime acknowledged that Hamas and other Resistance factions outright rejected its latest proposal.

According to the official, the Israeli proposal presented in the negotiations does not reflect a fundamental shift in the position and does not give clear answers on the issue of the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip and a comprehensive ceasefire.

The Resistance official told Al Mayadeen that Hamas "is still studying the proposal," pointing out that "there are no high expectations for its acceptance unless fundamental amendments are made to it."