JACK GUEZ / AFP
A Hamas delegation arrived in the Egyptian capital on Friday, December 29, to discuss a planned ceasefire in Gaza.
INTERNATIONAL – Glimmer of hope in Cairo? A Hamas delegation arrived in the Egyptian capital this Friday, December 29, to discuss a ceasefire project or even a resumption of the release of hostages held by the terrorist organization in Gaza.
The plan proposed by Egypt envisages, in particular, renewable ceasefires and the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners in three phases. HuffPost explains everything you need to know about this initiative and the current negotiations.
Three consecutive stages
First, in this plan developed in part with Qatar, Egypt proposes a halt in fighting for at least two weeks, according to the Times of Israel, which indicates that this ceasefire could be extended. During this lull, the Egyptian government wants a staggered release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Second stage: the formation of a Palestinian technocratic government after a dialogue involving “all Palestinian factions”. This government will be responsible for the administration and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the war.
The third and final step follows from the previous ones: Egyptian mediators call for a global ceasefire. However, a more lasting peace depends on the release of all Israeli hostages still in the hands of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, reminds The Times of Israel.
The impending reaction of the “Palestinian factions”
In Cairo, the Hamas delegation will convey “the response of the Palestinian factions” to Egyptian mediators. It “contains several comments”, in particular “on the modalities of the planned exchange and the number of Palestinian prisoners released, as well as obtaining guarantees for a complete Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” an official of the Islamist movement, who requested anonymity, confirmed to AFP .
“We are in contact (with the Egyptian mediators),” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. “We are working to bring them all back,” he said during a meeting with relatives of the hostages in Tel Aviv.
Despite little hope that the Egyptian plan could lead to a long peace process, Israeli forces stepped up attacks in the Gaza Strip on Friday, particularly against Rafah in the south. The latest Hamas Health Ministry report indicates more than 21,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip.
South Africa accuses Israel of “genocide”.
As civilians suffer attacks and humanitarian organizations struggle to meet the needs of the Palestinian population, criticism from the international community begins to pour in on Israel.
At the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa has specifically accused the Jewish state of “acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the court, the nations' main judicial body, said on Friday.
South Africa claims in its application that “Israel's actions and omissions are genocidal in nature because they are accompanied by the necessary specific intent (…) to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza as part of a broader national, racial and ethnic group.” Background of the Palestinians,” the Hague-based International Court of Justice said in a statement.
Israeli ministry spokesman Lior Haiat responded sharply this Friday evening on X (formerly Twitter): “Israel rejects with disgust the defamation spread by South Africa (…) and its appeal to the International Court of Justice.”
See also on HuffPost:
You cannot view this content because:
- By subscribing, you have opted out of cookies related to third-party content. You will therefore not be able to play our videos, which require third-party cookies to function.
- You are using an ad blocker. We recommend you disable it to access our videos.
If neither of these two cases apply to you, contact us at [email protected].