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Palestinian Factions Are ‘Open’ to Egyptian-Qatari Mediation in Gaza, Israel Announces ‘Progress’

Demonstrators in Tel Aviv demand the return of detainees in Gaza (AFP)
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv demand the return of detainees in Gaza (AFP)
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Palestinian Factions Are ‘Open’ to Egyptian-Qatari Mediation in Gaza, Israel Announces ‘Progress’

Demonstrators in Tel Aviv demand the return of detainees in Gaza (AFP)
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv demand the return of detainees in Gaza (AFP)

The Egyptian-Qatari mediation to exchange prisoners between Israel and the Palestinian factions and achieve a ceasefire in Gaza is close to reaching a breakthrough.

Reports indicated the Palestinian factions were "open" to the Egyptian proposal, and Israeli officials announced "progress" in a new prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

An informed source said the intensive contacts over the past two days reflected a "great response" from the Palestinian factions to the Egyptian proposal aimed at ending the war in the Strip.

The source, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, indicated that the factions are more open to the Egyptian proposal and that there is no contradiction between the Qatari proposals and the Egyptian vision.

He noted that the efforts focus on arranging with all parties to move to the implementation phase."

According to previous statements of the head of Egypt's State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan confirmed that Cairo has put forward a proposal that includes three stages ending with a ceasefire.

Rashwan noted that Egypt would give further plan details once those responses are received.

The proposal is an attempt "to bring viewpoints between all concerned parties closer, to stop Palestinian bloodshed and the aggression against the Gaza Strip and restore peace and stability to the region," he said.

The Qatari proposals stipulate a first phase of the prisoner exchange that includes the release of 40 Israeli detainees of the elderly, the sick, women, and minors in exchange for the release of 120 Palestinian prisoners of similar categories.

According to Israeli media quoting government officials, the suggestions call for a ceasefire for a month.

- Egyptian-Qatari integration

Political Professor at Cairo University Tariq Fahmy confirmed that the Egyptian and Qatari moves go hand in hand regarding efforts to stop the war in Gaza and exchange prisoners.

Fahmy added in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Israeli media is trying to drive a wedge between the two sides.

He pointed out that the Israeli War Council is moving to authorize the leaders of the information services in Israel, especially the Mossad, to sign a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinian factions and enter a temporary truce.

Israeli media reported that there had been "progress" in the discussions aimed at concluding a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, which would lead to the release of between 40 and 50 Israeli detainees in exchange for a ceasefire.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said Hamas is retracting its request for a "permanent" ceasefire and had now agreed to a temporary truce for a month.

The Corporation confirmed, citing political and security officials, that there is serious talk about a humanitarian deal, but the price that Israel will have to pay in terms of the days of the truce and the release of prisoners will be "heavier."

According to the broadcaster, Qatar is trying to implement a "more complex" deal that includes the Israeli army's withdrawal from the Strip and a political settlement.

Israel insists on destroying the capabilities of the Hamas movement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if there is an exchange deal, it will be implemented and carried out.

Netanyahu said: "My policy is clear: We continue to fight until all the objectives of the war have been achieved, primarily the elimination of Hamas and the release of all our hostages."

- Palestinian factions respond

Meanwhile, public statements of Hamas leaders still require a complete cessation of the Israeli war on Gaza to move forward with the deal.

However, Israeli reports stated that Doha informed Tel Aviv of changes in Hamas's position and that it has become more "flexible" towards the new Qatari mediation.

During the past two weeks, Cairo hosted talks with delegations from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements.

Fahmy explained that Egypt received "positive" responses regarding the ideas it has put forward about stopping the fighting in Gaza, adding that currently, there are no alternatives to the Egyptian proposal.

The academic specializing in Palestinian and Israeli studies described the response of the Fatah and Hamas movements to the Egyptian proposal as "very good."

He indicated that the Fatah movement no longer has any reservations and that Hamas' military leadership is moving toward accepting the Egyptian proposal.

Fahmy added that the exchange of prisoners and entering into a temporary cessation of fighting "is now close to entering the implementation phase."

The longer-term measures to stop the war require regional and international coordination and are "still underway," he noted.

- The interest of all parties

Former Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy, pointed out that the recent Egyptian vision to end the Gaza war took into account the interests of all parties.

Hegazy pointed out, in an interview with the Middle East News Agency, that Egyptian diplomacy is communicating with all parties and meeting with the Palestinian factions, the Palestinian National Authority, US representatives, Qatar, and the Israeli government of Israel to search for a permanent ceasefire and the release of prisoners and hostages.

He explained that the efforts will be within a framework that leads to stability, reconstructing the Strip, and aiming for a two-state solution.

It is also moving towards achieving reconciliation between the Palestinian factions to establish a "national unity government" or a "government of experts" linking the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Egypt is leading the mediation efforts with Qatari-US participation, as the three countries are guarantors of implementing the ceasefire.

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Arab World

Source Reveals to Asharq Al-Awsat Names of Some Members of Gaza Technocrat Committee

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive shelter in an UNRWA school, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 19, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive shelter in an UNRWA school, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 19, 2025. (Reuters)
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Source Reveals to Asharq Al-Awsat Names of Some Members of Gaza Technocrat Committee

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive shelter in an UNRWA school, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 19, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive shelter in an UNRWA school, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 19, 2025. (Reuters)

An informed Palestinian sources revealed that an agreement has been reached on the majority of the members of the technocratic committee will run the Gaza Strip.

The source, who is a member of the Palestinian civil society, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the 18-member committee will be comprised of Gaza residents who are businessmen, academics or involved in civil society.

The approved members have been informed to head to Cairo, which they will do on Wednesday.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the members include Ali Shaath, who served as secretary at the Palestinian Authority's Transportation Ministry, Abdulkarim Ashour, a civil society activist, Aed Yaghi, Director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in Gaza, Ayed Abou Ramadan, Chair of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, and Jaber al-Daour, President of Palestine University.

Other members include Bashir al-Rayyes, an engineering consultant, Omar Shemali, engineer Ali Barhoum, and lawyer Hana Tarazi.

It remains to be seen if Israel has approved the names of the committee, said the source.

Changes could be introduced if objections are made.

Egypt has been intensifying its efforts with all Palestinian parties, American mediators and Israel to speed up the formation of the committee that will run Gaza temporarily and be affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' government.

Hamas is gearing up to transfer control to the committee once it is finalized.

Arab World

Aoun, Hezbollah Ties Cool as Contacts Stay at Minimum

Supporters of Hezbollah hold portraits of its general secretaries on the first anniversary of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. (Reuters file)
Supporters of Hezbollah hold portraits of its general secretaries on the first anniversary of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. (Reuters file)
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Aoun, Hezbollah Ties Cool as Contacts Stay at Minimum

Supporters of Hezbollah hold portraits of its general secretaries on the first anniversary of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. (Reuters file)
Supporters of Hezbollah hold portraits of its general secretaries on the first anniversary of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. (Reuters file)

Relations between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah have grown visibly strained, with contacts confined to what ministerial sources described as “the bare minimum.”

The chill has deepened following Aoun’s recent remarks on Hezbollah’s weapons, which widened the rift between the two sides and triggered pointed criticism from the group at the president.

In a televised interview last week marking the first anniversary of his election, Aoun said that “the role of weapons outside the state has ended with the presence of the army, and their continued existence has become a burden on their own environment and on Lebanon as a whole, with no remaining deterrent role.”

In response, former Hezbollah-aligned minister Mohammed Fneish said in a television interview that the party had “reservations on the president’s recent positions,” adding: “We disagree with him in form and substance in some passages. We are not another party. We are a resistance force that played a major role in liberating Lebanon.”

Cool communication

Ministerial sources familiar with Aoun’s position stressed that “the stances he expressed are not new, but the current circumstances may differ from previous ones.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources said the remarks stem from the president’s conviction that weapons outside the framework of the state no longer serve any purpose, that their role has ended, and that they have become a burden on everyone, including the Shiite community and Hezbollah’s own base.

“This is, ultimately, a description of an existing reality,” the sources said.

They added that reactions from Hezbollah’s supporters were expected, but would not prevent communication from continuing, since maintaining contact serves the interests of both sides, particularly Hezbollah.

Aoun and Salam

In recent years, Hezbollah had sought to maintain good relations with Aoun. Its lawmakers voted for him during the presidential election session after months of backing Suleiman Franjieh’s candidacy.

The group’s leadership even opened discreet talks with Aoun on what became known as the “national security strategy,” though these discussions yielded no results. Channels of communication remain open on the issue of weapons north of the Litani River, amid Hezbollah’s refusal to cooperate on this file.

Since the cabinet approved a decision last August restricting weapons to the state, Hezbollah’s leadership and supporters have focused their criticism on the government in which the group is represented.

Ties have worsened between Hezbollah and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whom the group did not back during parliamentary consultations that named him as premier last year.

A natural reaction

Political writer Dr. Kassem Kassir, who closely follows Hezbollah’s position, said the reaction of the party's supporters to Aoun’s remarks was “a natural response,” particularly because the president did not take into account what he described as the "role of the resistance in protecting Lebanon."

He added that calls to end the role of weapons were made without offering guarantees for what would follow or proposing alternative options.

Kassir told Asharq Al-Awsat that the stance of Hezbollah’s supporters did not necessarily reflect the position of the leadership. Communication channels remain open, but contacts have failed to produce a unified vision.

He added that Hezbollah has formal reservations about the performance of the government and the state, especially regarding Israeli negotiations and what it views as concessions made without guarantees or tangible results.

Duality in rhetoric

University professor and lawyer Ali Murad said that segments of Hezbollah’s supporters on social media adopt an extreme accusatory tone toward anyone who disagrees with them, leaving no room for nuance.

However, he argued that the problem goes beyond the supporters themselves and lies in the political rhetoric and mobilization Hezbollah has relied on for decades, "which entrenched a culture that recognizes only black and white and promotes accusations of betrayal, either fully with us or fully against us."

Murad told Asharq Al-Awsat that the "real issue lies in Hezbollah’s dual rhetoric."

He said the party "is fully aware that the reality has become extremely difficult following major losses and a military defeat on one hand, and the broader retreat of the Axis of Resistance on the other. As a result, a clear contradiction has emerged between what Hezbollah says and what it actually believes."

This contradiction, Murad said, is evident in the speeches of Hezbollah’s secretary general Sheikh Naim Qassem, which reflect two parallel narratives. "One acknowledges reality to a degree while maintaining rejection of handing over weapons. The other is a mobilizing discourse rooted in an earlier era, before the pager operation and the 'support front' war."

“What Aoun said falls in this direction,” Murad said, arguing that Hezbollah in its former state has ended and has become a burden on Lebanon, the Shiite community, and the residents of the south.

"Persisting with the same rhetoric today amounts to rejecting reality and practicing denial, a form of political arrogance reflected by both supporters and the group’s media circles."

No interest in breaking ties

Murad said what angered Hezbollah’s supporters most was “the truth they do not want to acknowledge,” namely that Hezbollah’s role has ended, that it has exited the deterrence equation, and that it can no longer achieve Lebanon’s objectives on its own.

“The president stated a truth that needed to be said,” he said.

Asked whether the relationship between Hezbollah and Aoun was nearing a breaking point, Murad said it was not in Hezbollah’s interest to sever political ties with the president, or even with the prime minister.

He noted that the group understands that the actions of both officials serve Lebanon’s interests and, in particular, the interests of the south.

In some respects, he added, this approach also spares Hezbollah and its base the risks of "fatal choices that could lead to a bleak outcome if denial or political self-destruction were to prevail."

Arab World

Palestinian Factions Hold Indirect Talks in Cairo on Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire

A general view shows destruction in the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 9, 2026 following Israeli attacks. Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting. (AFP)
A general view shows destruction in the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 9, 2026 following Israeli attacks. Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting. (AFP)
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Palestinian Factions Hold Indirect Talks in Cairo on Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire

A general view shows destruction in the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 9, 2026 following Israeli attacks. Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting. (AFP)
A general view shows destruction in the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on January 9, 2026 following Israeli attacks. Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting. (AFP)

A Palestinian source from the Fatah movement told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that “indirect” meetings among Palestinian factions have begun in Cairo to discuss advancing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, particularly the formation of the committee to run the enclave, ahead of a broader meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

The second phase of the ceasefire, which came into force on Oct. 10, includes key provisions such as the disarmament of Hamas, the formation of a Board of Peace to oversee the peace process in the territory, the establishment of a technocratic committee to run Gaza’s affairs, and the deployment of an international stabilization force.

The Palestinian source stated that eight Palestinian factions are currently in Cairo, including Fatah and Hamas, to explore ways to advance the stalled second phase.

Fatah may skip the factions’ meeting

The source said discussions include the formation of the technocratic committee, the Palestinian police force to be deployed in the enclave, and related structures, noting that differences remain and that Fatah refuses to meet directly with Hamas.

A second informed Fatah source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement may not take part in Wednesday’s planned factions’ meeting.

A Palestinian source stated on Monday that consultations in Cairo were expected to finalize the administration committee and present factions with proposed names, particularly following recent developments involving changes to some nominees in response to Israeli objections.

On Tuesday, another informed Palestinian source stated that an agreement had been reached on the names of most members of the technocratic committee.

In televised remarks late on Sunday, Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal said a delegation from the movement would discuss follow-up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement amid “major difficulties hindering its application and continued Israeli violations.”

Mediators’ contacts

The Gaza administration committee has moved to the forefront of ceasefire mediation efforts, amid anticipation of decisive US decisions on announcing the Board of Peace and the technocratic committee, as well as Wednesday’s factions’ meeting in Cairo.

Those intensive contacts by mediators “require real US pressure and Palestinian consensus to translate them into momentum for the second phase and to overcome Israeli obstacles,” an Egyptian expert told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said at a press conference on Tuesday that Doha is working with mediators to accelerate progress toward the second phase of the ceasefire, accusing Israel of obstructing the deal.

“Israel must answer one question: why is the Gaza agreement delayed?” Al Ansari said, adding that “the complexities on the table today require moving forward to the second phase of the agreement, and our contacts are continuous and daily to push the deal ahead.”

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed during a phone call the importance of announcing the formation of the temporary Palestinian technocratic committee, in parallel with establishing the international stabilization force, ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid, and creating conditions for early recovery and reconstruction, said a statement by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also agreed during a phone call on Tuesday on “the need to intensify regional and international efforts to ensure the consolidation of the ceasefire and to move forward with the transition to the second phase of the US president’s plan.”

In a separate call with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for deploying the international stabilization force and technocratic committee, which would help create the conditions necessary for restoring the Palestinian Authority’s role.

Abdelatty also spoke by phone with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who is close to Israel, to discuss Gaza.

Mukhtar Ghobashi, Secretary General of the Al-Farabi Center for Strategic Studies, said mediators’ contacts must be followed by genuine and serious US pressure to announce second-phase decisions, whether on forming the administration committee or the Board of Peace.

Ghobashi said Cairo is keen to push the second phase forward, as reflected in the intensive contacts, but that progress hinges on US pressure, Palestinian consensus, and imminent US decisions this week to end the tragedy in the enclave, for which Israel bears full responsibility.