Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in Paris on Thursday that Cairo, in cooperation with Qatar and Turkey, is working to convince Hamas to accept a United States peace plan aimed at ending nearly two years of war in Gaza. He made the remarks during a discussion at the French Institute of International Relations, Reuters reported.
The plan, set out in a 20-point document released by the White House, calls for an immediate ceasefire, a hostage and prisoner exchange, staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and transitional governance under an international body. Abdelatty expressed support for the proposal but cautioned that there are “a lot of holes that need to be filled,” particularly regarding governance and security arrangements.
He warned that a rejection by Hamas could fuel further escalation and stressed that Israel should not be given pretexts to continue military action under the banner of security. He also underlined that Egypt rejects any scenario involving the displacement of Palestinians, describing such an outcome as jeopardising the Palestinian cause.
Analysts say Egypt’s mediation, alongside Qatar and Turkey, is pivotal to whether the plan succeeds. The ongoing conflict has already caused severe humanitarian costs, and rejection of the proposal could intensify instability, disrupt reconstruction efforts and undermine investor confidence across the region.
