On October 27, 2024, in Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced a two-day ceasefire initiative for Gaza aimed at exchanging four Israeli hostages for a number of Palestinian prisoners. This proposal was made during a press conference alongside Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
President el-Sisi indicated that the initiative was designed to 'move the situation forward and stop the fire.' He elaborated that after the initial two days, negotiations would take place within ten days to establish a permanent ceasefire.
El-Sisi condemned the 'severe destruction' in Gaza and rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians from the area. He emphasized Egypt's efforts to mediate the situation, which has seen stalled negotiations for about a month, as noted by Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
In parallel, negotiations are ongoing in Doha aimed at achieving a short-term ceasefire agreement. These discussions involve high-level officials, including the Qatari Prime Minister and U.S. CIA Director William Burns, focusing on persuading Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire lasting less than a month.
Despite the challenges, a Palestinian official expressed hope that Hamas would consider new offers, while maintaining that any agreement must lead to an end to the conflict and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
As of the announcement, the humanitarian situation remains dire, with reports indicating that 45 Palestinians, primarily women, children, and the elderly, have died since the previous day.