Israeli premier refuses Egypt’s initiative of ceasefire in Gaza
Date
10/28/2024 8:35:46 AM
(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected an initiative put forth by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for a short-term cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. During a joint press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Cairo, al-Sisi proposed a two-day cease-fire to facilitate the exchange of four Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners, with the intention of negotiating a longer-term truce over the following ten days.
While many Israeli ministers supported the Egyptian proposal, Netanyahu opposed it, stating that "negotiations will take place only under fire." This stance was confirmed by Israeli media, which noted that the country's security establishment also backed the initiative. Currently, approximately 101 Israeli citizens are believed to be held captive by Hamas in Gaza, amid fears that some may have been killed during indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes in the area.
Efforts led by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to secure a cease-fire and negotiate a prisoner swap have stalled, as Netanyahu remains unwilling to consider a cessation of hostilities. The Israeli military has sustained a severe offensive in the Gaza Strip since a Hamas incursion last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. The ongoing conflict has resulted in nearly 43,000 deaths, predominantly among women and children, and has injured over 100,000 individuals, according to local health authorities. Additionally, the Israeli military operations have displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, which is already facing acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine due to a continuing blockade.
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