Egypt’s newly appointed Director of General Intelligence, Hassan Rashad, held a meeting on 20 October with Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet, and proposed a limited ceasefire and a small hostage exchange as part of ongoing efforts to address the escalating tensions.
Egypt’s proposal involves the release of a small number of hostages held by Hamas in return for a temporary ceasefire, according to Axios. The arrangement is intended to be followed by renewed negotiations aimed at reaching a broader agreement on hostages and a more comprehensive ceasefire.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed support for the Egyptian proposal, but it faced opposition from far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Over the past year, Egypt, alongside Qatar and the United States, has acted as a mediator in efforts to halt the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023. However, negotiations have been at a standstill for nearly two months.
American, and Israeli officials believe the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar creates an opportunity to resume negotiations for the release of 101 hostages still held by the group and to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Axios.
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