Egypt backs Ukraine peace efforts, urges Israel to accept Witkoff-based Gaza truce

CAIRO – 20 August 2025: Egypt has welcomed renewed diplomatic efforts by the United States and European leaders to resolve the Russia–Ukraine crisis, while simultaneously urging Israel to accept a proposed ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Cairo’s calls come as Egypt and Qatar have submitted a joint ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap proposal, accepted by Hamas on Monday, and are awaiting Israel’s official response, expected by the end of the week.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the need for Israel to approve the deal accepted by Hamas, based on the proposal put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The agreement is designed to facilitate an immediate ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, the release of Israeli captives, and the exchange of a number of Palestinian detainees, the statement read.

Egypt added that a ceasefire would help restore stability and revive comprehensive peace negotiations based on the two-state solution and relevant international resolutions.

 

The Egyptian-Qatari initiative comes at a critical moment, as Israel on Wednesday approved a widely condemned military operation to occupy Gaza City—home to nearly one million people in the northern Gaza Strip.

The plan includes displacing residents southward and imposing Israeli security control over the entire enclave.

Hamas warned that the operation would mark “a new wave of brutal genocide and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents and those already displaced to it.”

Since the war began in October 2023, following a surprise Hamas attack on Israeli cities, in which the movement took 251 captives, Israel has killed more than 62,000 people in Gaza, according to the enclave’s health authorities.

Israel has stated that its latest operation aims to recover the remaining captives. However, most of the captives freed since the war began were released through negotiated agreements brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

A previous ceasefire, brokered in early 2025, lasted two months and led to the release of 38 captives from Gaza, 30 of whom were alive, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Under the terms of that deal, Hamas had pledged to release all remaining captives, now estimated at nearly 50, including about 20 believed to be alive, in exchange for a permanent end to the war.

However, Israel later withdrew from the agreement and resumed military operations, stating that it would agree to an end to the war until Hamas is defeated and Gaza is demilitarized.

Through the new operation, Israel said it also aims at establishing a new civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

Peace Efforts for Ukraine

In its statement, Egypt also commended diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

The foreign ministry expressed appreciation for efforts by US President Donald Trump to halt military operations, end the conflict, and address its far-reaching consequences.

Egypt welcomed the US–Russia summit held in Alaska on August 15, as well as a follow-up meeting in Washington on Monday that brought together the US president, his Ukrainian counterpart, and a group of European leaders.

 

“Egypt affirms that these efforts are fully aligned with the Egyptian state’s position and approach, which consistently advocate for political and diplomatic solutions to international crises,” the ministry stated.

Cairo reiterated its firm belief that “there is no military solution to this protracted conflict, and that the only path forward lies in serious negotiations, demonstrating the necessary political will and flexibility, and upholding the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.”

Egypt also expressed hope that the ongoing diplomatic efforts would bring the war to an end as soon as possible, citing the serious political, security, humanitarian, and economic repercussions—particularly for developing countries that are now facing mounting challenges, especially in ensuring food security.

The war in Ukraine, ongoing since February 2022, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of military casualties on both sides, despite sustained efforts by the US and European partners to reach a resolution.

A June analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reported that Russian forces could reach one million total casualties by the summer of 2025, including approximately 250,000 deaths.

Ukrainian losses are estimated at 60,000–100,000 killed, with total casualties around 400,000.