This came in a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stated that Abdel Aty had conducted "intensive phone calls regarding developments in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza," including with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, and his British counterpart, David Lammy.
The calls also included, according to the statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas and Hussein al-Sheikh, Palestinian Vice President.
According to the statement, "The calls addressed regional developments, most notably the situation in Gaza, and Egypt's intensive mediation efforts, in cooperation with Qatar and the United States, to achieve a ceasefire, deliver humanitarian aid, and release a number of hostages and prisoners."
Abdel-Ati pointed out that "significant progress has been made in this regard (Gaza), and that this was reflected in the recent consultations held in Cairo with the Palestinian delegation, which focused on the proposal put forward by US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, which Hamas agreed to."
The minister stressed that "the ball is now in Israel's court," noting the "need to pressure it to agree to the proposal, which would help mitigate the repercussions of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza."
The Foreign Minister also discussed, according to the statement, the ongoing preparations to host the International Conference for Early Recovery and Reconstruction in Gaza (the exact date of which has not been determined) once a ceasefire agreement is reached.
For their part, the officials, according to the statement, expressed their "appreciation for Egypt's pivotal role in mediating, in cooperation with Qatar and the United States, the ceasefire, affirming their full support for Egypt's efforts and its role in promoting security and stability in the region."
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This comes after the announcement of a new proposal by mediators regarding a prisoner exchange and ending the war in Gaza, which Hamas approved on Monday.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement Tuesday that "Israel's policy remains consistent and has not changed: it demands the release of all fifty abductees, in accordance with the principles set by the security cabinet to end the war."
Netanyahu's office's statement implicitly rejected the new proposal, despite it being very similar to, or almost identical to, the one previously presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff and accepted by Tel Aviv. The proposal called for the release of 10 living prisoners and 18 bodies in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire during which negotiations would be held to end the war.
Tel Aviv estimates there are 50 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,800 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to human rights reports.
Hamas has repeatedly declared its willingness to release Israeli prisoners "in one batch" in exchange for an end to the war of annihilation, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. However, Netanyahu, who is wanted by international justice, has evaded the offer by proposing new conditions, including the disarmament of Palestinian factions, and is currently insisting on reoccupying Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, leaving 62,064 Palestinians martyred, 156,573 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 266 people, including 112 children.
