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Egypt's proposed 3-phase cease-fire to Hamas et al. Updated 31dec2023 [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-12-31
This diary is updated from Dec25 version, to put in date order, earliest first through Dec 31, the increased, directly-involved news reports, with related information now last. Most articles gave no time-of-day. The Egyptian proposal is widely said to have been drafted with input from Qatar, the US, Israeli officials, Hamas leaders. The varying details in news reports suggest it is still definitely a draft subject to change. In the interests of space, that and other info repeated article after article is omitted following earliest mention.
As for decades, the crux is whether the terrorist groups of Gaza, especially Hamas, want badly enough to join the PLO and be part of an internationally recognized Palestinian government, despite the PLO being secular and its charter recognizing Israel’s right to exist, among key issues Hamas et al consistently reviled. In some views, Hamas genuinely is more motivated now by a chance to ‘go legit’ (as did Fatah under Arafat) and to avoid losing all power in Gaza or/and Palestinian affairs.
Side note: As always, no women diplomats, government officials, representatives etc involved. Women are only wanted to be cannon fodder and breeders, nothing more.
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From Ha’aretz email 24 December 2023:
Egypt has proposed a three-phase cease-fire deal to the Hamas delegation that visited Cairo, the Ramallah-based Asharq channel reported Sunday:
The cease-fire would begin with a two-week truce to include the release of 40 Hamas hostages, mainly women, children and adults who are elderly or sick, in exchange for 120 Palestinian prisoners and substantial humanitarian aid, including fuel.
In the second phase, a new technocratic government see Wikipedia’s article will oversee Gaza's rehabilitation and prepare it for elections.
The third phase will involve talks with Israel for a comprehensive cease-fire to include the release of all Israeli hostages and Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza. A Palestinian Islamic Jihad delegation arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian security officials, Reuters reported on Sunday.
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24 December, 8:12 pm — TimesOfIsrael Egypt submits proposal to free hostages, end war, form PA-Hamas government in Gaza
..Israeli officials confirmed [Egypt’s proposal] to several Hebrew media outlets [today] … with some indicating that Jerusalem is not flat-out rejecting the draft and that it could lead to negotiations…. ...The first stage ... would be a two-week [ceasefire], extendable to three or four, in exchange for release of 40 hostages — women, minors, and elderly men, especially sick ones [and Israel releasing] 120 Palestinian security prisoners of the same categories … Israeli tanks would withdraw, and humanitarian aid would enter Gaza. The second phase ... an Egypt-sponsored “Palestinian national talk” aimed at ending [intra-Palestinian factionalism, mainly between] the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority and Hamas [toward] formation of a technocratic government in the West Bank and Gaza that would oversee reconstruction of [Gaza] and pave the way for Palestinian parliamentary and presidential elections. The third stage would include a comprehensive ceasefire, release of [all] remaining hostages [in Gaza, release of a] to-be-determined number of Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails … including those arrested after October 7 and some convicted of serious terror offenses. In this phase, Israel would withdraw its forces from cities in the Gaza Strip and allow displaced Gazans from the enclave’s north to return to their homes…. ...On Saturday night [December 23], thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv in support of reaching a deal to return all of the Gaza hostages [amid the] recent whirl of [news]...
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December 25 — alarabiya.net — Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject giving up power in return for permanent ceasefire: Report
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December 26 — Reuters — Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject Gaza gov. overhaul for permanent ceasefire, Egyptian sources say
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December 26 — SouthChinaMorningPost — Hamas rejects proposal to give up power in Gaza in exchange for permanent ceasefire, Egyptian sources say
Insiders say both Hamas and Islamic Jihad refused to offer any concessions beyond the possible release of more hostages seized in the October 7 attack
The ‘vision’ proposed by Egypt and backed by Qatar involved a long-term end in hostilities along with an overhaul of leadership in Gaza
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December 27, 6:47a.m.— TimesOfIsrael Report: PA officials heading to Cairo to take part in talks on future of Gaza (no paywall)
..a delegation of Palestinian Authority officials is slated to head to Cairo in the coming days to discuss with Egypt its role in the future of the Gaza Strip. ...a senior PA official saying the channel between Egypt and the PA was opened after Cairo proposed a three-stage plan for ending the war that would include an Egypt-sponsored “Palestinian national talk” aimed at ending the division between Fatah and Hamas. ... PA intelligence chief Majed Faraj [is said to have] already departed for Cairo...
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29 December TheCradle Hamas Denies … Ceasefire Talks in Cairo-This reports on something of a non-denial denial, and covers considerably more, e.g.,
..That same day, five Palestinian resistance factions — Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (General Command) — met in Beirut to discuss the developments of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack into Israel The factions “stressed the necessity of a final ceasefire and all acts of Zionist aggression, and the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip as a condition before carrying out a prisoner exchange and on the basis of all for all.”... ...Agence France-Presse quoted a Hamas official, speaking on the condition of anonymity ... that “a high-level delegation from the Hamas political office will visit Cairo tomorrow to meet Egyptian officials and give the response of the Palestinian factions, including several observations, to their plan.” The Egyptian proposal [involves starting with bilateral commitment] to a ceasefire “for 48 hours before implementing the proposal so that both sides may agree on the names of those [to be] released in [each phase]..,” [The proposal would make Egypt, Qatar, and the US] responsible for coordination of the formation of [the proposed] technocratic government [for] the Gaza Strip and West Bank once a complete ceasefire is announced.
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29 December — 6:42 pm TimesOfIsrael Senior Hamas delegation set to arrive in Cairo for Egypt-backed ceasefire talks On Thursday, Dec 28, the head of the Egyptian General Information Authority, Diaa Rashwan, said Egypt was awaiting responses from the parties involved, on its proposed multi-stage plan earlier this week, for ending the war a day after Netanyahu hinted at progress in talks to free hostages. Rashwan said details would be provided once those responses are received.
A Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the delegation in Cairo would “give the response [from] both Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups who are said to have rejected a key component of the plan that they cede power in Gaza…. ...Israeli officials have said repeatedly since the start of the war, including this week, that it has no intention of ending fighting in Gaza until Hamas has been toppled [but sources behind the scenes indicate] that the Egyptian plan could serve as the basis for future negotiations. The terms of that plan, backed by Qatar, reportedly include a first stage of a two-week [ceasefire with] release of [some] hostages and Palestinian security prisoners; a second stage featuring an Egyptian-sponsored “Palestinian national talk” aimed at forming a technocratic government in the West Bank and Gaza; and a third stage of a comprehensive ceasefire and the release of the remaining ...hostages, as well as a number of Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails. But Hamas officials have repeatedly insisted that the terror group will not hold talks while fighting is ongoing, demanding the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as a pre-condition for future hostage releases — a nonstarter for Israel. Meeting with the families of hostages in Tel Aviv on Thursday [December 29], Netanyahu hinted at progress in talks to free their loved ones but declined to give details... ...The previous deal did not see the release of Palestinian prisoners with [murder] convictions. US President Joe Biden spoke on Tuesday with Qatar’s ruling emir, Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, to discuss “the urgent effort to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, including American citizens,” according to the White House.
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December 29 — no time of day given — EgyptianStreets.com hamas-and-islamic-jihad-delegations-arrive-in-cairo-to-discuss-ceasefire/
Hamas and Islamic Jihad delegations arrived in Cairo on Friday, 29 December, to discuss Egypt’s three-phase ceasefire plan, proposing the formation of a Palestinian government of technocrats in Gaza and the West Bank. Egyptian officials will engage separately with each delegation to discuss ceasefire and efforts related to a prisoner-captive swap. Last week, officials from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were presented with [the plan]…. Diaa Rashwan, the Head of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS), stated Thursday, 28 December, that the proposal is an exclusive Palestinian matter [saying discussions] regarding the Palestinian government have already taken place among all Palestinian parties... ...Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh welcomed the Egyptian proposal during a weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah. However, he underscored that any regional or international arrangements must adhere to Palestinian legitimacy, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
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December 29 — no time of day given — TheNationalNews.com (AbuDhabi). Hamas leaders travelled to Cairo today to discuss Gaza ceasefire proposal made to five Palestinian factions that met in Beirut, Lebanon
The five Palestinian factions are Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, two divisions of the Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The article reports a Hamas statement apparently coming out of the Beirut meeting, saying the groups demand Israeli cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of troops from Gaza before any more Israeli hostages are released, that they reject all foreign “solutions and scenarios for the so-called ‘future of the Gaza Strip’", and called for formation of a single Palestinian national unity government with three rounds of elections, one for a new president, the second for a legislative council, and the third vote for a parliamentary council.
.[The Egyptian draft propsal], seen by The National, has not received an official response from Palestinian or Israeli authorities, according to the director of Egypt's State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan. The Israeli war cabinet said it was reviewing an Egyptian plan on Thursday night, but it was not clear whether this was the same version seen by The National. Palestinian officials confirmed they received the plan. Hamas official Osama Hamdan, who lives in Lebanon, said ... "There are many ideas that are being presented and we are dealing with those ideas on the basis that we want a comprehensive end of the aggression and not temporary truces. We are open to ideas that may lead to that...” [The first phase currently includes that Israeli authorities allowing delivery of medical and food aid, fuel and cooking gas into Gaza.] The second stage [to last seven days] stipulates the release of female Israeli soldiers and all human remains held by Hamas, in exchange for more Palestinian detainees [with Israel withdrawing] its forces from urban areas under a continuing ceasefire. The third stage includes one month of negotiations over release of remaining male Israeli soldiers held captive, in exchange for Palestinian detainees [with Israel completely withdrawing] its forces from the enclave. Israel plans border control Israel wants tougher border controls between Egypt and Gaza, [said Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who this week in a meeting of the Knesset foreign and security affairs committee] confirmed he was in talks with Egypt to build an advanced border fence to prevent arms smuggling into the enclave ... with the size of the Rafah border area to be increased and for a multinational force to carry out inspections. Israel also reportedly plans to seal the frontier with an underground barrier….
That news article also says that that week, in a meeting of the Knesset foreign and security affairs committee, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke of being in talks with Egypt for construction of an advanced border fence between Egypt and Gaza to prevent arms smuggling, with the size of the Rafah border area to be increased and for a multinational force to carry out inspections. The article adds that Israel reportedly plans to seal the frontier with an underground barrier.
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December 29, 2023 at 17:41 — France24.com — israel pounded Gaza today, nearly 12 weeks into the war started by the October 7 attacks as Egypt hosted a Hamas delegation for talks aimed at ending the conflict that has devastated much of the besieged Palestinian territory.
The article begins with a brief description of the October 7 terrorist incursion into Israel and the impact upon the people of Gaza since then.
..While Israel has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas, Cairo has proposed a plan involving renewable ceasefires, a staggered release of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and ultimately an end to the war, say sources close to Hamas. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, a Hamas official said the delegation would "give the response of the Palestinian factions, including several observations" regarding the proposal Egypt recently submitted to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas would seek "guarantees for a complete Israeli military withdrawal" from Gaza, the official said. Israel is yet to formal comment on the Cairo plan but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told families of hostages on Thursday that "we are in contact" with the Egyptian mediators and promised that "we are working to bring them all back". Egypt's State Information Services chief Dia Rashwan said the plan was "intended to bring together the views of all parties concerned, with the aim of ending the shedding of Palestinian blood". In Tel Aviv, hundreds rallied on Thursday calling for a ceasefire. "Israelis, Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, Christians -- this is everybody's home," said one demonstrator, teacher Itay Eyal, 51, who stressed that all sides are entitled to "life, freedom, sovereignty and dignity". He said "the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 will never be pardoned and excused" but added that "if you don't see the historical context, then you're condemned to repeat the same tragedy over and over again."
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December 30 - TheNationalNews Hamas 'accepts in principle' Egypt's proposals to end Gaza war. Hamas is asking for a permanent ceasefire at end of the plan's timeline, Egyptian sources say
..the proposed deal [is] likely to have clauses that would not be publicised, including some details on Gaza’s future governance and security after the fighting ends [and] security assurances [to ensure that Israel] would not suffer a repeat of the surprise October 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that left about 1,200 dead in the bloodiest day since its creation in 1948… ...Leading the Hamas delegation in the talks in Egypt is Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s political leader. The delegation includes Saleh Al Arouri and Ruhi Mushtahy, two confidants of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza and Israel’s most wanted man…. [Unlike earlier versions of the proposal, the first phase] provides for a 20-day ceasefire [rather than 14, and] Israel would refrain from all aerial activity over Gaza, including drone and reconnaissance flights… ...The second phase would last 10 days [instead of 7 and] Gaza’s 2.3 million residents would also be allowed to move freely inside the territory except for areas where Israeli forces are stationed... ...The third phase is a month-long window...
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December 30 - Telesurenglish Egypt for Gaza Ceasefire Proposal, Concerned Parties Responses
..[The proposal] came after leaders of Egypt and Israel's arch-foe Iran held a phone conversation on the Gaza crisis, and a talk between Hamas representatives and the Egyptian side last week...
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December 31 - TheNational 12:44 AM — Israeli war cabinet to discuss Qatari hostage deal —
KEY INFO US sinks Houthi boats in Red Sea as Maersk confirms attack on ship
10 injured after Israeli strikes on a school in Khan Younis
Netanyahu says Gaza-Egypt border zone should be under Israeli control
Death toll in Gaza rises to 21,822 with 56,541 wounded
Hezbollah says four of its fighters killed in clashes with Israel
Hamas 'accepts in principle' Egypt's proposals to end Gaza war Israel’s war cabinet will meet on Sunday night to discuss a Qatar-proposed hostage exchange deal which has been gaining traction in government circles, according to a report from the Kan public broadcaster…. ...Doha’s proposal is separate from a three-phase deal proposed by Egypt that was reportedly agreed to in principle by Hamas leaders who visited Cairo this week for talks. Hamas and four other Palestinian resistance factions, following a meeting in Beirut this week, asserted in a joint statement that they would not be negotiating with Israel anymore unless it agreed to a total ceasefire and not a temporary one. However, the group has let up on its demands and is reportedly also open to discussing the Qatar deal without the need for a total ceasefire, the Israeli report said. The Qatari deal, whose finer details remain unknown, is aiming to halt hostilities for “a few weeks”, according to statements by senior Israeli officials carried by the Jerusalem Post on Saturday. The release of 40 to 50 hostages in exchange for Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons was also part of the deal, according to an outline published by multiple Israeli media outlets.
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December 31 - theOutlook (India) Explained: What Is Egypt's Proposal For Gaza?
Egypt is suggesting that, as part of the proposed permanent ceasefire, Hamas and Islamic Jihad should give up power in the Gaza Strip….
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Related
Al-Monitor - 21 December 2023 Can Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [facilitate] Hamas-Fatah reconciliation? Erdogan described the rival groups as being like “flesh and bone,”
..“[Hamas and Fatah] are in talks, and it is possible ,,, to take these talks further … I believe that there are many things that we, as Turkey, have done and can do on this issue,” [Erdogan] was quoted as telling reporters on his return from Hungary, according to an official transcript released on Tuesday…. ...Last week in Doha, Qatar, in a first ] senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk said Hamas seeks to join the Palestine Liberation Organization, the internationally recognized [secular, Fatah-dominated] representative of the Palestinian people. [Of major Palestinian factions, only Hamas and Islamic Jihad are not members]. ...[Past similar talks] failed [on several issues including PLO agreements with Israel, notably Israel’s right to exist]. Erdogan ... is one of … few regional leaders [having] ties with both Hamas and Fatah leaders. In Ankara in July, [he] hosted a rare meeting [between] Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader, and Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah chairman and Palestinian Authority president… [The Gaza war motivates Palestinian reconciliation, Mehmet Rakipoglu, Istanbul-based Middle East expert at Dimensions for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor … A merger could give Hamas a certain legitimacy and] push back against those who ask, 'If Palestinians are defending their homeland, why are they divided among themselves?'” ...He added, however, that the involvement of Egypt, Qatar and Jordan — the former two with solid ties to Hamas, the latter influential with the PLO — would be essential...
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From Al-Monitor email 23 December:
Arab and Islamic states pressing for a cease-fire have so far refrained from an “or else” conditionality in their campaign, emphasizing instead the dire humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, as negotiations continue for sustained humanitarian pauses and another round of hostage exchanges. The conditionality, however, appears to be being applied, by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular, to the "day after" discussions. The UAE announced last week that its support for financing Gaza reconstruction will depend on a road map to a two-state solution. That road map is being drafted in white papers and refined primarily among US, Palestinian, Saudi and other officials. The crux of the proposal is that a Palestinian state, under PA authority, needs to be up front, not the result of an indefinite process. [Management] of Gaza’s civilian affairs [might] be handed over to the local Palestinian Civil Affairs Committee [as a tacit] workaround ...but only in the short run, given the scope of the post-war conversations taking place. Devil in the details While Israel will likely want to see reforms as a precursor to a Palestinian State, the PA, backed by Saudi Arabia, is pressing for a more up-front commitment to recognition, including the prospect of a major Madrid II-type conference. Saudi backing for the PA [for years] has been a lifeline for President Mahmoud Abbas. The war has only deepened the PA’s unpopularity with most Palestinians, while giving a boost to Hamas, including in the West Bank, as the face of Palestinian resistance. Abbas knows that his authority hangs by a thread. The PA will want to avoid having statehood conditioned by reforms, including a new leadership, that will require Israeli approval, which could be drawn out indefinitely — as would be Netanyahu’s preference. The PA position is that elections and reforms should follow the establishment of the state. Discussions of a new PA leadership — under Marwan Barghouti, Hussein al-Sheikh or others — [to] flow from elections after [establishment of the state. [A role for Hamas would] require its accepting the PLO charter, which includes recognition of Israel. That the US [the EU] and Israel have declared no role for Hamas in post-conflict Gaza complicates [matters]. The PA and its advocates want to avoid a one-way street approach, and for Israel to [abide by] its commitments enshrined in the February 2023 Aqaba Agreement, to pay monies owed and [other past agreements[. ... day-after talks and discussions are vital and gaining traction by the week [despite an "on the fly" feel given the urgency of the war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, among the most grave in the world]. As before Oct. 7, the success of any of these plans will ultimately depend on two parties: the Israelis and the Palestinians... ...Hamas may have won elections in Gaza back in 2006, but its staying power is rooted in the politics of despair and resistance. The toll of the Israel-Hamas war has only deepened that despair. The urgency and scale of the post-war planning will need to be commensurate to the challenge. Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 Israelis in its attack on Oct. 7. More than 100 Israeli and international hostages are still being held in Gaza. The death toll among Palestinians in Gaza has now reached over 20,000, more than half women and children, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. Eighty-five percent of the enclave’s 2.2 million people are displaced, and relief agencies are warning of famine and disease.
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