As Palestinian health officials reported that Israeli strikes had killed at least 65 Palestinians in the enclave in the last 24 hours, security sources said on Monday that Egypt has presented a new plan to reinstate the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The proposal, which was made last week, comes as violence escalated after Israel effectively ended a two-month period of relative calm last Tuesday by resuming air and ground operations against Hamas, reports Reuters.
Since it started attacking again, Israel has murdered about 700 Palestinians, including at least 400 women and children, according to health officials.
The Islamist organization Hamas said that a number of its top security and political figures had also been slain.
According to two security officials, the Egyptian plan calls for Israel to conduct the second phase of the truce following the first week, with Hamas releasing five Israeli detainees every week.
Twenty-four of the 59 hostages that Hamas is presently holding are believed to be alive.
According to the security sources, the idea was approved by the US and Hamas, but Israel has not yet reacted.
A Hamas official didn't confirm the proposed offer, but told Reuters that "several proposals are being discussed with the mediators to bridge the gap and to resume negotiations to reach common ground that would pave the way to start the second phase of the agreement."
Timetable for withdrawal
According to the sources, the Egyptian proposal also calls for the release of the hostages in exchange for a deadline for Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, supported by US guarantees.
Despite accusing Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire deal signed in January, Hamas has stated that it is open to negotiating a truce and has been reviewing ideas from Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump.
Israel claims that in order to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining captives it is holding in Gaza, it has renewed its military operations.
It has questioned the death toll given by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave and claims to try its utmost to minimize injury to civilians.
Over 50,000 people have died in the battle, which has lasted for almost 18 months, according to Palestinian officials on Sunday.
The Israeli military sent part of its personnel to the Tel Al-Sultan area in Rafah, where thousands of Palestinians were besieged. Families were left stranded among the wreckage without access to food, water, or medical care, according to the local municipality.
According to the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service, 50,000 people are still trapped in Rafah.
Troops surrounded Tel Al-Sultan, according to the Israeli military, in order to destroy "terror infrastructure sites and eliminate terrorists in the area."
In recent days, 124,000 people have been displaced in Gaza, according to the United Nations Palestinian Relief Agency (UNRWA).
"Families carry what little they have with no shelter, no safety, and nowhere left to go. The Israeli authorities have cut off all aid. Food is scarce and prices are soaring. This is a humanitarian catastrophe. The siege must end," it said on X.
