Middle East: Egypt proposes two-day cease-fire in Gaza

Cairo: Egypt has proposed a two-day cease-fire in Gaza to allow an exchange of four Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said.

Speaking at a news conference in Cairo, Sissi said the cease-fire would see humanitarian aid enter Gaza.

Within 10 days of implementing the temporary cease-fire, talks should resume on attempts to reach a permanent truce.

Egypt has been a key mediator along with Qatar and the United States.

A new round of negotiations to pause the yearlong conflict resumed in Qatar on Sunday, with the directors of the CIA and Israel's Mossad intelligence agency taking part.

This is the first time that Egypt's president has publicly proposed such a plan.

There has been no immediate response from Israel or the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

A week-long cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in November 2023 — which also involved an exchange of hostages for detained Palestinians — has been the only pause in the fighting so far.