Egypt is reportedly urging Hamas to accept the initial phase of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire agreement without any modifications, after Hamas submitted its formal response to the proposal last week, which included “amendments” that Israel deemed unacceptable.

The proposal, which was presented by Israel and backed by President Joe Biden, aims to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Despite Israel’s rejection of Hamas’ modified proposal, Egypt and Qatar have pledged to continue mediating the negotiations until a deal is reached.

According to an Egyptian source who spoke to the Qatar-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper, Cairo and Washington have been exerting intense pressure on Hamas leadership to accept the first phase of the deal. Additionally, Hezbollah has urged Hamas to approach the proposal with “flexibility” and “patience,” advising against closing the door on ongoing negotiations.

Asharq Al-Awsat wrote that Hezbollah’s stance is based on the assumption that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu does not fully support the offer himself.

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