Latest news with #Egyptian-mediated
Mada
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Mada
Sudan Nashra: High-level security talks in Cairo between Sudan, Egypt, Libya over border triangle PM names five ministers, armed groups retain ministerial portfolios
Still trying to contain the fallout from the Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) takeover of the border triangle between Egypt, Sudan and Libya, and amid what one Sudanese intelligence source described as an 'expanding presence of smuggling networks and armed groups in the border region,' Cairo hosted high-level security delegations from the other two countries on Wednesday. The meeting follows an earlier round of Egyptian-mediated indirect talks this month between Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) Chair and Sudanese Armed Froces (SAF) Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar. Sudan has accused forces aligned with Haftar of supporting the RSF's advance into the border triangle — a claim Haftar denied during the talks earlier in July. On the political front, Prime Minister Kamel Idris has failed to hold onto his vision of a purely technocratic cabinet in the face of mounting pressure from the armed movements signatory to the Juba Peace Agreement. This week, he appointed five ministers, three of whom represent the armed movements, including the long-serving Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim. On the norwestern battlefront, the RSF renewed its military buildup around Fasher while continuing to shell civilian areas where the humanitarian crisis is deepening. Continuing the siege it began on Fasher over a year ago, the RSF has also turned down a week-long humanitarian truce proposed by the United Nations. In the capital, Khartoum, returnees described to Mada Masr dire shortages of water, electricity and health services, despite attempts by both national and state-level authorities to resume operations in the city, which has been devastated by two years of war. *** High-level security talks in Cairo address pressing concerns at Egypt-Sudan-Libya border after RSF takeover Senior security officials from Sudan, Egypt and Libya convened in Cairo on Wednesday for a high-level meeting to address the crisis along their shared border triangle, according to a Sudanese intelligence source who spoke to Mada Masr. The talks focused on the fallout from the RSF's takeover of the strategic area in June. Potential security concerns topped the agenda, according to the intelligence source and a senior TSC official. In a detailed briefing on the situation in the area, the Sudanese side warned of the security implications if the RSF forms a parallel government in the areas of Sudan it holds. The scenario, the official said, would threaten both Sudanese and Egyptian national security and could open southern Libya to the rise of militant groups and transnational terrorist networks. The RSF took another step last week toward the establishment of such a parallel government, announcing the formation of a leadership body for its Tasees coalition. The RSF-led coalition emerged after the paramilitary first unveiled its ambition to establish parallel governance in its strongholds across Sudan during the Nairobi conference in February. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo has been named as the Tasees leadership body's head. Also on the agenda in Cairo were efforts to build a shared framework to address cross-border challenges, the intelligence source said. According to the source, irregular migration, arms trafficking and human smuggling all represent concerns, alongside broader national security issues — particularly the expanding presence of smuggling networks and armed groups in the border region. Sudan, the source added, directly warned both Cairo and the Benghazi government of the growing presence of terrorist factions and militias in the triangle area, and called for the formation of joint security committees to address the destabilizing effects of RSF control over desert routes that could serve as corridors for cross-border insecurity. A Sudanese Foreign Ministry source described the Cairo meeting as a culmination of Egypt's ongoing mediation between Sudan and Libya, and said the aim will be to create a joint platform to address urgent security and border issues. A prior round of indirect talks, mediated by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, were held in Cairo on July 3 between TSC Chair and SAF Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar. The Sudanese delegation included top officials from the General Intelligence Service, military intelligence and the Foreign Ministry, the intelligence source said. *** Kamel Idris appoints 5 ministers, armed movements retain posts Following weeks of friction with the armed movements signatory to the Juba Peace Agreement, Prime Minister Kamel Idris finally appointed five new ministers on Thursday. The step was the latest in Idris's efforts to complete the formation of what he called the ' government of hope ' and brings the total number of appointed Cabinet ministers to 10 out of 22 posts. Though Idris had pledged to form a nonpartisan technocratic government, the military-allied armed movements ultimately secured their share of cabinet positions as per the terms of the Juba agreement. After the power struggle over key ministries, a breakthrough was reached during a high-level meeting between Idris and TSC members Shams Eddin al-Kabbashi and Yasser al-Atta, a source within the TSC told Mada Masr. The source inidcated that the consensus established during the meeting cleared the way for Thursday's appointments. These included the reappointment of Mohamed Kortkila Salih to lead the Federal Governance and Rural Development Ministry. Kortkila, a senior member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by TSC Deputy Chair Malik Agar, has held the post since February 2021. He first assumed the office under Abdalla Hamdok's second government. Gibril Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), was reappointed as finance minister. Having held the position since early 2021 under the Juba Peace Agreement, he is now the longest-serving official to lead the Finance Ministry in Sudan's history. Abdallah Mohamed Darf, from eastern Sudan, was named justice minister. A prominent pro-military figure, he heads the Popular Resistance Forces in Kassala State and is widely seen as a loyalist of the National Congress Party, which dominated national politics under ousted President Omar al-Bashir. Also among the appointees are Mahasen Ali Yaaqoub, who was named minister of industry and trade — a post she has held since 2021 as acting minister through the onset of the war — and Bashir Haroun Abdel Karim Abdallah as minister of religious affairs and endowments. Abdallah leads the Sudanese Alliance armed movement, previously headed by former West Darfur Governor Khamis Abakar, who was killed by the RSF in June 2023. As per the meeting between Idris and the TSC, the JEM retains the ministries of finance and social welfare and development. The Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minaawi, will hold onto the Minerals Ministry, with strong indications it will also regain control of the Humanitarian Aid Commission — which has been temporarily assigned to the SPLM-N faction led by Agar, the source said. *** Hours after military declares control, RSF recaptures Kazgil in North Kordofan The RSF announced on Tuesday that it had retaken the Kazgil area in North Kordofan, just hours after the military claimed it had control of the region. Military spokesperson Nabil Abdallah had said on Monday that the military-allied Sayyad mobile unit had defeated RSF fighters in Kazgil and Rayyash, taking control of both areas after inflicting heavy losses on the paramilitary. The RSF later said it seized Kazgil and captured 45 fully equipped combat vehicles, drones, various weapons and a large amount of ammunition, claiming 330 military soldiers were killed in the operation. The paramilitary's fighters circulated video footage showing their entry into and deployment across the area. An RSF field source told Mada Masr that the group had reinforced its ranks after the military advanced to Kazgil and Rayyash, and forced SAF units to withdraw toward the Um Arda and Ban Gadeed areas. The joint force of military-allied movements has dismissed claims that it has withdrawn from the front entirely as baseless, confirming that its fighters remain active across all battlefronts. Located on the southern edge of North Kordofan, Kazgil has been the site of repeated clashes and changes in control between the RSF and the military amid escalating fighting in recent months across the wider Kordofan region. A former military officer told Mada Masr that SAF's pullback, despite earlier gains, was in line with a broader strategy to draw RSF fighters in, weaken their forces and strike key positions before fully reclaiming the territory. The southern axis — stretching from Obeid toward Hammadi and Debeibat, then onto Foula, Babanusa, Adila and Daein — remains one of the most difficult fronts for the military, according to the former officer, due to the heavy presence of local groups loyal to the RSF along the route. On Wednesday, military drones targeted RSF positions and gatherings in Bara, Um Gerfa and Kazgil, killing one RSF officer and several fighters, a SAF source told Mada Masr. The drone strikes, the source said, are part of preparations for a ground offensive being planned across several towns and cities in North Kordofan. *** Fasher reels as thousands flee under escalating RSF attacks on military's Darfur foothold The humanitarian situation in Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, continues to deteriorate amid escalating shelling and drone strikes by the RSF, which has stepped up efforts to seize control of the strategic city. Fasher, under RSF siege since May 2024, is the military's last major foothold in Darfur. On Wednesday, the Fasher Resistance Committees reported widespread shelling by the RSF across several neighborhoods in the city. Shelling also struck the Abu Shouk displacement camp's market area on Tuesday, killing three civilians and injuring many more, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Drone strikes added to the toll on Thursday, when a medical source told Mada Masr that eight people had been killed in an RSF drone strike on a shelter where dozens of civilians were taking refuge. RSF artillery fire killed at least 45 people in the Abu Shouk displacement camp north of Fasher in June alone, the camp's emergency committee stated on Sunday. The camp, home to around 190,000 people, now faces acute shortages of food and basic supplies after charity kitchens and aid distribution were suspended in April. OCHA warned that conditions in North Darfur remain alarming as the ongoing violence is forcing families to flee. Over 3,200 people fled Abu Shouk and parts of Fasher between June 26 and July 6, the International Organization for Migration said. International efforts to secure humanitarian access to Fasher have so far failed. Last week, the RSF rejected a UN-proposed humanitarian ceasefire in Fasher and has since escalated its offensive on the city. A senior official in the military's General Staff told Mada Masr that SAF is determined to hold the city, describing it as a strategic junction between west and east Sudan, bordering key routes into Chad, Libya and Egypt. Control of Fasher, the official said, means control over military supply lines, humanitarian corridors and population movement across Darfur. The RSF continues to amass forces on the city's outskirts, while the military — backed by the joint force of the allied armed movements — maintains defensive positions inside the city. An RSF source told Mada Masr that capturing Fasher would cement the group's control over Darfur and allow it to establish a regional command center. It would also pave the way for advances into Kordofan, Gezira and possibly eastern Sudan, the source said. On Thursday, the RSF announced it had downed a Turkish-made Akinci drone operated by the military over Fasher. The group claimed the drone had carried out a series of indiscriminate strikes on civilian areas in Zamzam, Kuma and Malit. *** Ethiopian militias cross into eastern Sudan, sparking fears among farmers Ethiopian militias crossed into Sudanese territory this week, raising alarm among residents and farmers in the eastern state of Gadarif. Armed groups breached the disputed Fashaga border triangle on Sunday and blocked several farmers from accessing their lands, a source on Gadarif State's security committee told Mada Masr. The incursion comes at a critical time, just as the farming season is set to begin. The Sudanese military had taken over 95 percent of the Fashaga border triangle from Ethiopian forces in a military operation launched in November 2020, ending nearly 25 years of control by Ethiopian militias, backed by the federal military, over the fertile region. One resident from the border area said that one of the armed groups raided and looted a local market, attacking traders and civilians before retreating across the border into Ethiopian territory without being intercepted. Several farmers who spoke to Mada Masr attributed the incursion to the Sudanese military's preoccupation with security developments elsewhere in the country. Residents in the affected areas fear that repeated incursions could further destabilize the region, particularly given their frequency in recent years. Many have called on the Sudanese government to take urgent measures to reinforce border security and protect the farming season — a vital source of livelihood for the area's population. *** Returnees to Khartoum face service shortages, war's aftermath Displaced residents returning to the tri-city capital of Khartoum are grappling with severe shortages in essential services, including clean water, electricity and healthcare, several returnees told Mada Masr. Tens of thousands have returned to the capital this year as the military re-established control over Khartoum after two years of war. In East Dayoum, a central Khartoum neighborhood, Mohamed Salah described a dire water crisis, with residents waiting up to two days to access a nearby clean water well. He added that despite announcements about efforts to restore the Mogran water station in northern Khartoum, the facility has yet to supply the neighborhood with water. On Sunday, Khartoum's Water Authority announced that the Mogran and Bayt al-Mal stations entered a test run as part of efforts to stabilize water services disrupted since the onset of the war. The authority added that two more stations — Gereif and Shagara — are also set to resume operations in the coming period. Power outages continue to compound the crisis. Widespread damage to substations and transmission lines has left entire neighborhoods in the dark. 'We've had no electricity for more than two years,' Mugahed Azhary, a resident of Gabra in southern Khartoum, said. 'The grid needs extensive repairs and specialized companies to handle the maintenance. This can't be left to community efforts — the state must take responsibility.' According to Azhary, electricity has returned to parts of the city, including Abu Adam, Kalakla and areas further south toward Jebel Awliya, but supply remains weak due to issues with transformers. When the military regained control of Khartoum in March, authorities started urging displaced residents to return. On Tuesday, Khartoum Governor Ahmed Othman Hamza called on citizens to come back and contribute to the city's reconstruction, saying, 'the government alone cannot rebuild Khartoum.' In the Ashara neighborhood in southern Khartoum, Mohsen Bashir said the emergency aid they were promised by authorities and humanitarian organizations has yet to arrive, despite residents' urgent need. Elsewhere in the capital, residents are still dealing with the remnants of war. In Khartoum 2, Amin Sayed told Mada Masr, unexploded ordnance and abandoned military equipment remain scattered in areas previously held by the RSF, with no specialized teams deployed to clear them. Some government institutions have resumed operations from their headquarters in Khartoum, including the foreign and education ministries, as well as the Central Bank of Sudan. Several hospitals and health centers that had suspended operations during RSF control have also reopened, such as the outpatient clinics at the Ibrahim Malek Teaching Hospital and the emergency units at the Bahri and Hajj al-Safi teaching hospitals in Bahri, the capital's eastern city. On the public health front, Khartoum's Forensic Medicine Authority said on Saturday that it has relocated 3,800 bodies from various locations across the capital. The authority emphasized that it is the sole entity authorized to remove and relocate corpses and unmarked graves from homes, streets, neighborhoods and public areas. It also noted that all related services — including transportation, exhumation and burial — are provided free of charge by a dedicated committee, and called on the public to report any unburied or improperly buried remains directly to its offices.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
New Proposals Revive Push to Resume Gaza Truce Talks
Mediators are working to break the deadlock in stalled negotiations over a renewed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to discuss what sources described as 'new ideas for de-escalation.' The diplomatic push comes as Israel's security cabinet convenes to review developments on the hostages taken by Hamas, and ahead of a potential visit by US President Donald Trump to the region next month, a move that could inject fresh momentum into the faltering talks, sources familiar with the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat. Efforts to resume the truce have intensified since a ceasefire agreement collapsed on March 18. Four previous proposals to restore calm have failed, but sources said the latest Egyptian-mediated initiative may pave the way for a temporary lull that could evolve into a broader ceasefire. Hamas will present a new proposal in Cairo that includes a five-point plan for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza, featuring a comprehensive prisoner exchange and regional and international guarantees, a source told Asharq Al-Awsat. The Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said the plan envisions a deal for the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. The proposal also calls for a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction of the war-ravaged territory, and a complete lifting of the blockade. According to the source, Hamas is also prepared to commit to a five-year truce under international and regional oversight, should the proposal gain traction. Hamas is set to present a detailed five-point framework in Cairo, including a long-term truce and a comprehensive prisoner swap, aimed at ending the war in Gaza and restoring stability, they told Asharq Al-Awsat. The third point in the proposal calls for an immediate return to the situation prior to March 2, 2025, if the framework is approved. This includes a halt to military operations, Israeli troop withdrawal to positions held under the January 17 agreement, and the entry of humanitarian aid in line with a pre-agreed protocol. The fourth clause proposes the formation of a local committee of independent technocrats to fully administer Gaza, in accordance with Egypt's earlier suggestion for a community support council. The fifth and final point reaffirms Hamas' willingness to engage in a broader Palestinian national reconciliation based on previous intra-Palestinian agreements - most recently the 2024 Beijing accord. A Hamas delegation departed Doha for Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the new ceasefire proposal, a senior Hamas official told AFP. Meanwhile, the BBC quoted a senior Palestinian official as saying that Egyptian and Qatari mediators have put forward a serious new proposal for ending the war, involving a ceasefire lasting between five and seven years, the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and an official end to the conflict. The last ceasefire collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and refused to enter the second phase of a previously agreed roadmap. Multiple joint proposals from Egypt, Israel, and the United States in March and early April failed to bridge the divide between the warring parties. Hamas is stepping up diplomatic efforts to rally support for its proposed comprehensive ceasefire deal, days after receiving an Israeli proposal for a temporary truce via Egyptian mediators, Egyptian sources told Cairo News Channel last week. While Hamas did not explicitly reject the Israeli plan, which called for a short-term cessation of hostilities followed by negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire, the group responded with a televised statement demanding a broader agreement. Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using partial deals for political gain while failing to commit to ending the war. The Hamas delegation's visit to Cairo follows talks in Ankara on Sunday between senior Hamas official Mohammed Darwish and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Two Hamas sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that the group is seeking Türkiye's backing to convey its comprehensive deal to the Trump administration, citing strong ties between the two. Hamas' diplomatic push comes amid growing international pressure to halt the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Political science professor Tarek Fahmy, an expert in Palestinian and Israeli affairs, said the Hamas delegation's visit is part of ongoing efforts to present new ideas for a ceasefire. Fahmy noted that while the concept of a long-term truce is not new, current mediation efforts are focused on achieving a temporary ceasefire, securing the release of as many hostages and Palestinian prisoners as possible, and presenting Hamas with options to end the war - even under pressure - in order to stop the worsening crisis in the enclave. 'Hamas has limited options,' Fahmy said, pointing to the group's diplomatic maneuvers amid Israel's intensified military campaign, which he said has resulted in Israeli forces taking control of around 40% of Gaza. Israel has not publicly commented on the latest mediation proposal, but Israeli Channel 12 reported that the country's security cabinet held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue of hostages. An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday evening and held talks the next day with mediators in a bid to break the deadlock in negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported on Tuesday. Egypt has not disclosed details of the latest diplomatic efforts, but Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the situation with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, in Cairo on Tuesday. According to a statement from Egypt's foreign ministry, the talks focused on 'efforts to resume implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement to support de-escalation and restore the flow of humanitarian and relief aid into the Strip.' Fahmy said the recent developments reflect a renewed push by Egypt and Qatar to secure a breakthrough in the stalled talks. He suggested a deal could be reached before Trump's expected visit to the region next month.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas prepared for ‘serious' hostage release
Hamas has said it is prepared for a 'serious' hostage release following US pressure to accept a new Israeli proposal. It is understood that both sides have softened their positions, putting them on course for a potential deal to release approximately nine or 10 hostages in return for a new ceasefire in Gaza. The apparent movement in negotiations in the last 24 hours follows weeks of deadlock since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18. The operation has killed more than 1,500, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and prompted despair among the families of the remaining 59 hostages, of whom 24 are thought to be alive. Israel has seized significant territory in Gaza during that time, carving military corridors deep into the enclave, expanding its buffer zones and absorbing the entire southern city of Rafah into the no-go area. Recent discussions are believed to have stalled over the number of hostages to be released as part of a new deal. Israel reportedly demanded at least 11, in return for a ceasefire and other concessions, whereas Hamas were said to have offered only five. Late on Sunday, the Saudi news outlet al-Arabiya reported unnamed sources as saying there was 'initial agreement' from the terror group to increase the number of living hostages it would consider handing over. The report also suggested that Hamas was prepared to submit a detailed list of hostages and agree to a two-phase release schedule. It came as a spokesman for the group, Taher al-Nunu, told a different Saudi channel, Asharq, that Hamas was prepared for a 'serious' prisoner exchange. Crucially, the Egyptian-mediated outline agreement appears to be based on active Israeli participation in talks, rather than one generated by third-parties. On Monday, the Tikvah Forum, a group of hostage families to the right of the main representative body, reported that Benjamin Netyanyhu had told the parents of hostage Eitan Mor that Israel was now aiming for the return of 10 living hostages, as an initial phase of a new deal. This appeared to be corroborated by Lebanese outlet Al-Mayadeen, which quoted a Hamas official. According to the report, the proposal demands that US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander be included among the 10, in exchange for a 45-day ceasefire. During this time, aid would be allowed into Gaza and Israeli troops would withdraw to their positions as of March 18. Mr Alexander, a 21-year-old IDF soldier who grew up in New Jersey, has been a key focus for the Trump administration. The administration is said to have assured Hamas that it would pressure Israel to end the war upon the return of the hostages. Aid would reportedly be allowed back into Gaza as part of a new deal, and Palestinian prisoners would be released, although Israel was said to be pushing for a smaller ratio of hostages to stopped releasing hostages under the previous deal after Mr Netanyahu's government refused to engage seriously in so-called phase two negotiations. In outline, the phase envisaged a complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and an end to the war, in return for the remaining said it could not agree to a situation which left Hamas intact in Gaza and risked another atrocity like the massacre of October resuming hostilities, Israeli ministers have said that putting Hamas under military pressure, plus taking significant chunks of territory, was the best chance of getting them to agree to further releases. Both the Tikvah Forum and the more mainstream Hostages and Missing Families Forum have sounded alarm at the prospect of a new two-stage release deal. Both want to see all the living hostages released simultaneously as part of a comprehensive deal to end the war. The current proposal would waste 'precious time' and, said a spokesman for the later group. 'While families wait and hope for the release of each and every hostage from Hamas captivity, the reality is that partial releases are a dangerous concept,' the forum said in a statement. 'Government officials continue to speak of increasing military pressure to free all the hostages, yet in practice negotiations are stuck, hostages' lives are at risk, and fallen soldiers' bodies are disappearing.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Hamas prepared for ‘serious' hostage release
Hamas has said it is prepared for a 'serious' hostage release following US pressure to accept a new Israeli proposal. It is understood that both sides have softened their positions, putting them on course for a potential deal to release approximately nine or 10 hostages in return for a new ceasefire in Gaza. The apparent movement in negotiations in the last 24 hours follows weeks of deadlock since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18. The operation has killed more than 1,500, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and prompted despair among the families of the remaining 59 hostages, of whom 24 are thought to be alive. Israel has seized significant territory in Gaza during that time, carving military corridors deep into the enclave, expanding its buffer zones and absorbing the entire southern city of Rafah into the no-go area. Recent discussions are believed to have stalled over the number of hostages to be released as part of a new deal. Israel reportedly demanded at least 11, in return for a ceasefire and other concessions, whereas Hamas were said to have offered only five. Late on Sunday, the Saudi news outlet al-Arabiya reported unnamed sources as saying there was 'initial agreement' from the terror group to increase the number of living hostages it would consider handing over. The report also suggested that Hamas was prepared to submit a detailed list of hostages and agree to a two-phase release schedule. Phase two negotiations It came as a spokesman for the group, Taher al-Nunu, told a different Saudi channel, Asharq, that Hamas was prepared for a 'serious' prisoner exchange. Crucially, the Egyptian-mediated outline agreement appears to be based on active Israeli participation in talks, rather than one generated by third-parties. On Monday, the Tikvah Forum, a group of hostage families to the right of the main representative body, reported that Benjamin Netyanyhu had told the parents of hostage Eitan Mor that Israel was now aiming for the return of 10 living hostages, as an initial phase of a new deal. This appeared to be corroborated by Lebanese outlet Al-Mayadeen, which quoted a Hamas official. According to the report, the proposal demands that US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander be included among the 10, in exchange for a 45-day ceasefire. During this time, aid would be allowed into Gaza and Israeli troops would withdraw to their positions as of March 18. Mr Alexander, a 21-year-old IDF soldier who grew up in New Jersey, has been a key focus for the Trump administration. The administration is said to have assured Hamas that it would pressure Israel to end the war upon the return of the hostages. Aid would reportedly be allowed back into Gaza as part of a new deal, and Palestinian prisoners would be released, although Israel was said to be pushing for a smaller ratio of hostages to prisoners. Hamas stopped releasing hostages under the previous deal after Mr Netanyahu's government refused to engage seriously in so-called phase two negotiations. 'Partial release a dangerous concept' In outline, the phase envisaged a complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and an end to the war, in return for the remaining hostages. Israel said it could not agree to a situation which left Hamas intact in Gaza and risked another atrocity like the massacre of October 7. Since resuming hostilities, Israeli ministers have said that putting Hamas under military pressure, plus taking significant chunks of territory, was the best chance of getting them to agree to further releases. Both the Tikvah Forum and the more mainstream Hostages and Missing Families Forum have sounded alarm at the prospect of a new two-stage release deal. Both want to see all the living hostages released simultaneously as part of a comprehensive deal to end the war. The current proposal would waste 'precious time' and, said a spokesman for the later group. 'While families wait and hope for the release of each and every hostage from Hamas captivity, the reality is that partial releases are a dangerous concept,' the forum said in a statement. 'Government officials continue to speak of increasing military pressure to free all the hostages, yet in practice negotiations are stuck, hostages' lives are at risk, and fallen soldiers' bodies are disappearing.'
