Egypt, Qatar push to get Gaza ceasefire back on track as Israel’s war kills over 50,000 Palestinians

CAIRO – 26 March 2025: Egypt and Qatar are actively pursuing their joint efforts to restore the ceasefire they brokered in cooperation with the United States in Gaza, ensuring the implementation of all three phases.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, followed up on both countries’ joint efforts to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza in a phone call on Wednesday.

They emphasized Egyptian-Qatari collaboration to secure the release of all captives and prisoners, as well as the delivery of humanitarian, medical and relief aid to Gaza.

The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to continuing coordination with the United States regarding the trilateral mediation role in the ceasefire negotiations.

Furthermore, the discussions included preparations for the reconstruction process throughout the enclave and strategies to ensure the success of the early recovery and reconstruction conference that Cairo plans to host.

These talks come as Israel has launched fresh assaults on Gaza, including airstrikes and ground operations, since last week, shattering a ceasefire that persisted for two months and allowed for the release of dozens of captives held by Hamas.

Israeli forces are killing dozens of Palestinians daily.

According to the Gaza health ministry, Israeli assaults over the past week alone have killed 830 people, including 322 children and 174 women, raising the death toll among Palestinians since the war began in October 2023 to over 50,000.

Egypt is spearheading a major initiative for Gaza's reconstruction, supported by Arab and Muslim leaders as well as the European Union, and is also working to reinstate the ceasefire that took effect on January 19 and allowed the entry of thousands of humanitarian aid trucks.

Reuters has reported a new Egyptian proposal aimed at halting hostilities in Gaza and initiating phase two of the ceasefire negotiations, citing security sources.

The proposal includes the release of five captives held by Hamas each week, with Israel implementing phase two of the ceasefire after the first week.

It also outlines a timeline for the complete release of all captives in exchange for a timeline for Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza, supported by US guarantees.