Egypt proposes hostage release and two-day cease-fire in Gaza

Egypt’s president says his country has proposed a two-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas during which four hostages held in Gaza would be freed.  

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, speaking in Cairo, said the proposal also includes the release of some Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. 

Egypt has been a key mediator along with Qatar and the United States. This is the first time Egypt’s president has publicly proposed such a plan. 

There was no immediate response from Israel or Hamas. 

Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the Shati refugee camp of northern Gaza killed at least eleven, according to local authorities. 

Distressed people tried to identify their loved ones from among the bodies recovered from the destroyed Asmaa School while others dug through rubble looking for survivors. 

Israel has struck a number of schools-turned-shelters in Gaza during the one year conflict, saying it precisely targets militants hiding out amongst civilians, 

The strikes often kill women and children. 

Aid groups have warned of a catastrophic situation in the region as Israel has severely limited the entry of basic humanitarian aid in recent weeks. 

The three remaining hospitals in the north – one of which was raided over the weekend – say they have been overwhelmed by waves of wounded.