Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad have both rejected the proposal put forth by Egypt to relinquish power in the Gaza Strip in return for a permanent ceasefire and the release of more hostages, according to Egyptian security sources. The proposed vision, backed by Qatari mediators, aimed to include a broader agreement involving a permanent ceasefire and an overhaul of leadership in Gaza. Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, denied the talks' details and emphasized that no negotiations would take place without a complete stop to the aggression. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have demanded a complete cessation of aggression before engaging in any negotiations. The proposed plan would have involved the release of more hostages seized on Oct. 7, which the groups have rejected. The number of Palestinians in Israeli jails has increased significantly, with the current count reported at around 10,000 individuals. The Egyptian proposal also included the possibility of elections with assurances that Hamas members would not be pursued or prosecuted, but the Islamist group turned down the offer, remaining firm in their demand for a full stop to the aggression before discussing any further concessions. Recent reports indicate that overnight into Monday, the Gaza Strip endured one of its deadliest nights in the 11-week-old war, with at least 70 people killed by an Israeli airstrike in the center of the besieged area. The rejection of the Egyptian proposal raises more concerns about how the conflict in Gaza will be resolved in the coming weeks.

Israel/Gaza—Dear World Leaders and media: Hamas and Islamic Jihad today rejected a proposal by Egypt and other Arab nations to surrender governance of Gaza and release hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire; they also rejected Israel’s proposal for hostage exchange.

— Don Hutchinson 🇨🇦 (@DonH1187) December 25, 2023