The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported Monday afternoon that a senior Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo within hours. The delegation will meet with Egyptian officials to discuss multiple issues, chief among them mediators' efforts regarding a Gaza ceasefire agreement and a partial hostage deal. Another topic on the agenda is discussions with Fatah, following that organization's delegation visit on Saturday.
Hamas will today receive the American proposal for advancing a Gaza ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases. The proposal, on which Israel Hayom reported last week, builds upon a previous Egyptian framework. Key elements include accelerating the pace of hostage releases in exchange for a more favorable prisoner release equation, alongside renewed negotiations for subsequent phases of the agreement.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Hamas officials arriving in Cairo signal some progress, though past experience demonstrates that Hamas – due to internal disagreements – typically creates additional obstacles. These sources suggest military pressure may facilitate advancement. The Cairo meeting will occur approximately parallel to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump, with this issue certainly featuring in their discussions.
Reports in recent days have highlighted a bridging proposal advanced by Egypt between Israel's position and Hamas. The proposal encompasses releasing several hostages – including Edan Alexander, who holds American citizenship – in exchange for several hundred prisoners, approximately two months of ceasefire, and reopening border crossings for humanitarian aid and supplies.
Earlier, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that Egypt awaits US support for the proposal during United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff's upcoming regional visit. Egyptian sources indicated that the US desires modifications to Egypt's bridging proposal, primarily concerning the number of living hostages to be released in exchange for the truce period.
Egyptian officials are expected to discuss with the Hamas delegation Fatah's proposal to end the internal Palestinian division. Sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed there are positive indications of progress, given Hamas' initial response and Fatah's openness to certain compromises. However, numerous previous meetings between the parties have failed to resolve the long-standing split.
An Egyptian source detailed Cairo's revised proposal to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. According to this source, the bridging proposal includes releasing approximately eight living hostages in exchange for a ceasefire lasting between 40 and 70 days. The source emphasized that Cairo attempted to accommodate the core aspirations of both sides.
The Egyptian source revealed that senior Hamas officials requested guarantees regarding Israel's commitment to maintaining the ceasefire after hostages are transferred. The proposal specifies that hostages would not be released simultaneously but rather in phases – likely one hostage daily over approximately one week.
The proposal reportedly stipulates that Israel would cease fire and permit humanitarian aid entry with the release of the first hostages. Negotiations would simultaneously resume regarding subsequent phases of the original January agreement.
The Egyptian source noted that Hamas's final response remains pending while Israel continues examining the revised proposal. The source projected that Israel's response would follow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump. An official Israeli source responded, "No new proposal has reached Israel."
In reaction to the Egyptian announcement, families from the Tikvah Forum of hostages' relatives appealed to the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, "You have no right to select among the hostages, you have no right to negotiate for only some of the hostages in Gaza. It's illogical that after a year and a half, you continue with a trickle of hostages. You are obligated to return all hostages in one phase and on one bus. There is no other way."
