Egypt has launched an emergency diplomatic campaign to salvage the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which is on the verge of collapse. The Egyptian government has warned Israel against expanding its occupation in Gaza, stating that such action would undermine efforts to end the war amid a wave of deadly airstrikes.
According to an Egyptian intelligence official, Cairo has also invited a senior Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya for urgent talks to save the peace process. The source described the ongoing contacts between the parties as extremely tense, with Cairo racing to arrange negotiations before the end of this week to prevent a full-scale war in Gaza.
The diplomatic moves come after fresh Israeli military strikes on Gaza and statements by senior Israeli officials threatening to destroy months of diplomatic efforts. At least 141 Palestinians have been killed in the past two weeks due to Israel's escalating attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered the military to expand its controlled area from 53% to 70% of Gaza's territory. This fundamentally violates the comprehensive peace plan brokered by the United States and signed in October 2025 under the Trump administration, according to mediators.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz further inflamed regional anger by publicly reviving the plan for 'voluntary migration' of Palestinians from the land, declaring that forced displacement would be carried out 'at the right time and in the right manner.'
Cairo has sent a warning to the Israeli government, rejecting any measures aimed at promoting the voluntary migration of Gaza residents or steering Palestinians toward the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Egypt is coordinating with mediators in Qatar, Turkey, and US officials to bring the process back to the negotiating table, including amending the annex of the original Gaza peace plan.
The source said Egypt and other mediators recognize that Netanyahu's recent statements on expanding Gaza occupation, as well as strikes targeting Hamas military commanders, are influenced by electoral calculations and difficulties in Lebanon. Egypt has contacted US officials to request President Donald Trump urgently curb Netanyahu.
A senior Hamas official said the movement has received communications from Egypt aimed at de-escalation and preventing the collapse of talks, with a meeting expected in Cairo in the coming days. Hamas declared that the ceasefire is on the verge of collapse due to continual Israeli violations, calling on the US and sponsor countries to take 'serious and urgent' steps to force Israel to comply with its commitments.
Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire in October to end two years of fighting, which killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and displaced the majority of Gaza's population. Despite the ceasefire still being in effect, at least 929 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October.
