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Egypt’s Sisi Says It Has Proposed a 2-Day Gaza Ceasefire and Release of 4 Hostages

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024. (EPA)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024. (EPA)
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Egypt’s Sisi Says It Has Proposed a 2-Day Gaza Ceasefire and Release of 4 Hostages

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024. (EPA)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024. (EPA)

Egypt’s president announced Sunday his country has proposed a two-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas during which four hostages held in Gaza would be freed. There was no immediate response from Israel or Hamas as the latest talks were expected in Qatar, another key mediator.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, speaking in Cairo, said the proposal also includes the release of some Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza. It aims to “move the situation forward,” he said, adding that once the two-day ceasefire goes into effect, negotiations would continue to make it permanent.

This is the first time Egypt’s president has publicly proposed such a plan. There hasn’t been a ceasefire since November’s weeklong pause in fighting in the earliest weeks of the war, in which 105 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel’s Mossad chief was traveling to Doha on Sunday for talks with the prime minister of Qatar and the CIA chief in the latest attempt to end the fighting and ease regional tensions that have built since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Those tensions now see Israel at war with both Hamas in Gaza and with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and openly attacking Iran, their backer, for the first time this weekend. Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday said the strikes — in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this month — “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation.

During a government memorial for the Hebrew anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “not every goal can be achieved through only military operations," adding that “painful compromises will be required” to return the hostages.

At the same event, protesters disrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shouting “Shame on you." Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to the’ attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home remaining hostages.

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US Allows Transactions with Governing Institutions in Syria Despite Sanctions

A worker stands at a bakery after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A worker stands at a bakery after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Allows Transactions with Governing Institutions in Syria Despite Sanctions

A worker stands at a bakery after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A worker stands at a bakery after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)

The US on Monday issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months after the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.

The exemption, known as a general license, also allows some energy transactions and personal remittances to Syria until July 7. The action did not remove any sanctions.

Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available just two or three hours per day in most areas. The caretaker government says it aims to provide electricity up to eight hours per day within two months.

The US Treasury said the move sought "to help ensure that sanctions do not impede essential services and continuity of governance functions across Syria, including the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation."

A lightning opposition offensive brought a sudden end to decades of Assad family rule on Dec. 8. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which led the advance and set up Syria's caretaker government, renounced its ties with Al-Qaeda. But the US continues to designate it as a terrorist entity.

The United States, Britain, the European Union and other governments imposed tough sanctions on Syria after Assad's crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 spiraled into civil war.

Washington previously authorized humanitarian support to the Syrian people by aid groups, the United Nations and the US government as well as some economic activity in certain areas not held by Assad's government.

While Monday's move "authorizes transactions with governing institutions in Syria ... even if a designated individual has a leadership role in that governing institution," it does not permit any transactions involving military or intelligence agencies.

The Treasury defined Syria's governing institutions as departments, agencies and government-run public service providers - including hospitals, schools and utilities - at the federal, regional or local level, and entities involved with HTS across Syria.

It also authorizes transactions in support of the sale, supply, storage or donation of energy, including petroleum and electricity, to or within Syria.

US sanctions on Assad and his associates, the Syrian government, the Central Bank of Syria and HTS remain in place, said the US Treasury.

'SUPPORT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE'

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move showed goodwill toward the Syrian people rather than the new government.

"The end of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal and repressive rule, backed by Russia and Iran, provides a unique opportunity for Syria and its people to rebuild," said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo in a statement.

"During this period of transition, Treasury will continue to support humanitarian assistance and responsible governance in Syria."

Maher Khalil al-Hasan, the trade minister in Syria's caretaker government, on Monday said the country is unable to make deals to import fuel, wheat or other key goods due to strict US sanctions despite many countries wanting to do so.

Syria faces a "catastrophe" if sanctions are not frozen or lifted soon, he said.

Washington wants to see HTS cooperate on priorities such as counterterrorism and forming a government inclusive of all Syrians.

Along with unilateral measures, HTS has also been on the UN Security Council Al-Qaeda and ISIS sanctions list for more than a decade, subject to a global assets freeze and arms embargo, though there is a humanitarian exemption.

Many diplomats acknowledge that the removal of sanctions could be used as leverage to ensure Syria's new authorities fulfill their commitments.

Diplomats and UN officials are also keen to avoid a repeat of difficulties in Afghanistan after the hardline Taliban took over in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after two decades of war.

Banks were wary of testing UN and US sanctions, leaving the UN and aid groups struggling to deliver enough cash to run operations and forcing the US to issue sanctions exemptions.