A senior Egyptian who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity says terror group Hamas has rejected Israel’s proposal for a two-month ceasefire in which Hamas would release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners.
The official says Hamas leaders have also refused to leave Gaza and are demanding that Israel fully withdraw from the territory and allow Palestinians to return to their homes.
Under Israel’s proposal, Yahya Sinwar and other top Hamas leaders in Gaza would be allowed to relocate to other countries.
The official says Egypt and Qatar, which have brokered past agreements between Israel and Hamas, are developing a multi-stage proposal to try to bridge the gaps. The proposal would include ending the war, releasing the hostages and putting forth a vision for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The proposal comes following Netanyahu's rejection of a Hamas offer that sought an end to the war in return for the release of the remaining hostages.
The Israeli government has offered a new proposal to Hamas that would see a two-month ceasefire in return for the release of Israeli hostages, after rebuffing a Hamas offer.
It is also unknown if any of the over 6,000 Palestinians that have been detained by the Israeli military since 7 October from the occupied West Bank will be included in the deal.
Some 250 hostages were taken during Hamas' attack on Israel on 7 October, with 130 being released during a one-week ceasefire in November.
Families of the Israeli hostages have ramped up calls for their release, with protests occurring outside Netanyahu's house and inside the Israeli Knesset on Sunday.
UN agencies have repeatedly called for a ceasefire for an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza, as UNRWA reports that 570,000 people face catastrophic hunger in the enclave.