Egyptian source says Cairo pushing for ceasefire as Netanyahu doubles down on military campaign

Egypt is attempting to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, an official Egyptian political source told Mada Masr on Sunday, adding that regional parties including Jordan and Qatar are involved in these efforts. 

The source, who spoke to Mada Masr on the condition of anonymity, said that the potential ceasefire could take place by Tuesday or Wednesday, but warned it was far from certain in light of a possible “escalation of the situation on the ground.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised speech on Sunday afternoon that the military campaign against the Gaza Strip will continue in “full force,” adding that he wanted to exact a “heavy price” from Hamas. 

As of Sunday night, the seventh day of the offensive, Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 192 people in the Gaza Strip, including 58 children, and wounded at least 1,235, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli authorities on their part announced the death of ten Israelis, including two children, who were killed by the rockets of the Palestinian resistance factions.

Egypt, in coordination with Jordan and Qatar, is pushing for a ceasefire to prevent an increase in casualties, and the destruction of Gaza as a first step, the source said. The Palestinian side has shown a promising response to the efforts toward a ceasefire, according to the source, who added that Netanyahu will likely have to move to end military operations in the coming days, because “the situation is getting out of control.”

Israel’s security cabinet voted against a ceasefire on Sunday and “decided to continue Gaza operations according to the military plans,” despite some senior officials and cabinet member's support of a ceasefire, according to an Israeli press source. 

The terms of a potential ceasefire remain disputed. The Egyptian source told Mada Masr that Israel is insisting that the resistance forces, headed by Hamas, stop rocket fire toward Israel by Tuesday, while Israel would gradually reduce its assault on Gaza to come to a complete halt on Thursday. Hamas, meanwhile, insists on a simultaneous ceasefire, a position which Egypt supports. 

Israel, which maintains that it is targeting Hamas sites, destroyed a mixed residential building which also housed the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera on Saturday, shortly after controversially misleading international press to believe it was planning a ground invasion. 

The airstrikes on Gaza began on Monday in retaliation for rockets fired by Palestinian resistance groups after Israeli security forces and settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian mobilization spread across Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel last week, sparked by Israeli police attempts to forcibly displace people from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Protests and marches continued over the weekend, and solidarity protests were held in New York, Berlin and other cities around the world. 

In the meantime, Egypt has been working closely and “in full agreement” with Jordan toward brokering a ceasefire, according to the source. The two countries have had several direct conversations at the military and security level with Tel Aviv, the source said, adding that the current situation is “absolutely not in anyone’s interest.” Cairo and Amman were also talking with the US and other countries both directly and through UN channels to lobby international support for a ceasefire, the source added. As of press time, the UN Security Council was meeting in New York over the current crisis.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry talked to his Israeli counterpart over the phone days after a meeting between Assistant Foreign Minister Nazih Najari and the Israeli Ambassador to Cairo Amira Oron, where Najaru told her that Egypt objects to any violations of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem. Shoukry has also spoken to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Jordan, as well as the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Russia and Germany.

*This article has been updated since publication to reflect new information regarding the state of ceasefire talks.