Egypt advocates plan to end Israeli war on Gaza, create transitional Palestinian government
Egypt has put forward an ambitious, initial proposal to end the Israeli war on Gaza with a cease-fire, a phased detainees exchange and the creation of a Palestinian government of experts who would administer the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank, a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat told AP on Monday.
The proposal worked out with Qatar and has been presented to Israel, Hamas, the United States, and European governments but still appeared preliminary.
The proposal does not meet Israel’s goal of outright crushing Hamas nor meet Israel’s insistence on keeping military control over Gaza for an extended period after the war.
Israel’s War Cabinet, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet later Monday to discuss the captives situation, among other topics, an Israeli official said, but would not say if they would discuss the Egyptian proposal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The Egyptian proposal is an ambitious bid not only to end the war but also to lay out a plan for the day after.
This would include the release of all remaining captives in return for all Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel, as well as the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza and the Palestinian militants’ halting of rocket attacks into Israel.
Egypt and Qatar would also work with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to agree on the establishment of a government of experts, an Egyptian official told AP. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing talks.
The government would rule Gaza and the West Bank for a transitional period as Palestinian factions settle their disputes and agree on a roadmap to hold presidential and parliamentary elections, the source added.
The plan calls for an initial cease-fire of up to two weeks during which Palestinian resistance group would free 40 to 50 captives, among them women, the sick, and the elderly, in return for the release of 120-150 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, the source told AP.
