The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Israel is to release more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The Ministry also reiterated its call for the release of Nepali student Bipin Joshi from Hamas captivity. Joshi, an agriculture student from Nepal, was abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, while he was in Israel under the "learn and earn scheme."
Israel's cabinet has postponed a key vote on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal until Saturday, with a smaller security cabinet vote scheduled for Friday, according to a report by CNN.
Egypt emphasised the urgent need to implement the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement without delay, underscoring the importance of all parties adhering to its terms and meeting the specified timelines.
Following the ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that his vision of an economic corridor connecting India, the Middle East, and Europe--a vision first presented at the G-20 summit in Delhi in September 2023--can now become a reality following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal.
US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the progress of ongoing negotiations regarding the ceasefire-hostage deal in relation to the situation in Gaza, the White House said in a statement on Sunday (local time).
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, held talks today in Doha with Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East, on the latest developments in the region.
The US reiterated its call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as a solution towards ending the conflict between the two warring parties. The remarks were delivered by Matthew Miller, Spokesperson of the US Department of State during the Daily Press Briefing.
Israeli soldiers continue their operations in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, where Hamas is trying to regroup, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday. Meanwhile, a delegation of Egyptian security officials was due to arrive in Israel hoping to arrange a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Egypt President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi announced on Sunday that Egypt has proposed a two-day ceasefire in Gaza aimed at facilitating the exchange of four Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners.
After a massive exchange of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah over the weekend, the White House said that the negotiators continue to work to strike a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, CNN reported.