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By Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) – Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad have rejected an Egyptian proposal that they relinquish energy within the Gaza Strip in return for a everlasting ceasefire, two Egyptian safety sources informed Reuters on Monday.
Each teams, which have been holding separate talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo, rejected providing any concessions past the potential launch of extra hostages seized on Oct. 7 when militants broke into southern Israel, killing 1,200 individuals.
Egypt proposed a “imaginative and prescient”, additionally backed by Qatari mediators, that might contain a ceasefire in alternate for the discharge of extra hostages, and result in a broader settlement involving a everlasting ceasefire together with an overhaul of management in Gaza, which is at the moment led by Hamas.
Egypt proposed elections whereas providing assurances to Hamas that its members wouldn’t be chased or prosecuted, however the Islamist group rejected any concessions apart from hostage releases, the sources stated. Greater than 100 hostages are nonetheless believed to be held in Gaza.
A Hamas official who visited Cairo just lately declined to remark straight on particular presents of extra momentary humanitarian truces and indicated the group’s rejection by repeating its official stance.
“Hamas seeks to finish the Israeli aggression towards our individuals, the massacres and genocide, and we mentioned with our Egyptian brothers the methods to try this,” the official informed Reuters.
“We additionally stated that the help for our individuals should maintain going and should improve and it should attain all of the inhabitants within the north and the south,” the official stated.
“After the aggression is stopped and the help elevated we’re prepared to debate prisoner swaps,” he added.
ISLAMIC JIHAD
Islamic Jihad, which additionally holds hostages in custody in Gaza, has echoed that stance.
An Islamic Jihad delegation led by its chief Ziad al-Nakhala is at the moment in Cairo to alternate concepts with Egyptian officers over prisoner swap presents and different points, however an official stated the group had set an finish to Israel’s navy offensive as a pre-condition for additional negotiations.
Islamic Jihad insists, the official stated, that any prisoner swap should be based mostly on the precept of “all for all”, that means the discharge of all hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in return for liberating all Palestinians jailed in Israel.
Earlier than the conflict, there have been 5,250 Palestinians in Israeli jails, however the quantity has now grown to round 10,000 as Israel has arrested hundreds extra within the West Financial institution and Gaza since Oct 7, in accordance with the Palestinian Prisoners Affiliation.
In a single day into Monday, Gaza endured certainly one of its deadliest nights within the 11-week-old conflict. Palestinian well being officers stated not less than 70 individuals had been killed by an Israeli airstrike within the centre of the tiny, besieged Gaza Strip.
(Reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Sarah El Safty; Modifying by Gareth Jones)
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