Ceasefire and a deal for a safe Rafah

Millions of Palestinians have escaped to Rafah amid ongoing war with Israel. Pic/AP

Intensified efforts by Egypt probes Hamas to review a new Israeli proposal to end the months-long planned offensive attack into Rafah, the southern city of Gaza. Khalil al-Hayya, senior Hamas official, said that the Palestinian militant group was evaluating Israel's proposal, and "upon completion of its study, it will submit its response."

According to media reports, Israel has demanded the release of at least 33 hostages by Hamas and a ceasefire as a last chance to prevent the planned attack on the city of Rafah. Israel also refuses to allow Hamas, in particular its leader Yahya al-Sinwar, to delay the hostage deal. According to Israel's internal report, out of the 129 Israeli hostages, 33 are elderly, women, or ill. "This is the last chance before we go to Rafah," the Times of Israel quoted the unnamed Israeli government official as saying. "It's either an agreement in the future or Rafah." Hamas is also calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a demand that Israel's government rejects.

Egypt fears that an attack on the Rafah region would lead to civilian catastrophe as well as a huge refugee exodus to Egypt as Rafah borders the Sinai region of the country, emphasising the need for a ceasefire between the two countries. The discussions between Egyptian and Israeli officials thus focused on the first stage of a multi-phase plan that would include a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners and the return of a significant number of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza "with minimum restrictions," the Egyptian official said.

Amidst these discussions, the US has postponed its decision on sending aid to Israeli battalions, as they accuse them of grave human-rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated that he is postponing the decision on blocking aid to the unit to give Israel more time to right the wrongdoing. Israeli leaders, who anticipated the US's decision this week, have angrily protested any such aid restrictions.

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Hostages to be released, demands Israel

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