A new Egyptian proposal has entered the current deadlock in ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, amid ongoing Israeli escalation for nearly three weeks following the collapse of the truce.

The Egyptian proposal to cease the war on the Gaza Strip is the fourth in less than a month, and seeks to "bridge the gaps," according to Israeli media. Experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat see it as a new opportunity for calm ahead of the Jewish Passover holiday on April 20. This is especially true with an imminent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, which could pressure Washington toward a new agreement based on a compromise between all previous Egyptian, American, and Israeli proposals that have not been accepted.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty exchanged views on Saturday with a delegation from the Palestinian Fatah movement, headed by Jibril Rajoub, Secretary of the movement's Central Committee, and including Rawhi Fattouh, Speaker of the Palestinian National Council, and Mohammad Shtayyeh, a member of the movement's Central Committee and former Palestinian Prime Minister. They discussed "the dangerous Israeli escalation and the latest developments in Egyptian efforts aimed at restoring the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and resuming the flow of humanitarian aid as soon as possible," according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Abdel-Ati did not reveal details about these efforts, but the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority said on Friday evening that Egypt "submitted a new proposal for a settlement regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, with the aim of bridging the gaps." According to the Broadcasting Authority, the new proposal falls "somewhere between the original offer from the mediators, which included the release of five live prisoners, and the Israeli offer, which included the release of 11 live detainees in Gaza."

Negotiations to resume the truce, which collapsed on March 18 after nearly two months of calm, have stalled over several proposals, most notably the proposal made by Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, on March 13. This proposal included an extension of the ceasefire until April 20 and included the release of 10 hostages. Hamas, however, accepted only the release of the American-Israeli hostage, Idan Alexander.

This was followed days later by an Egyptian proposal that included Hamas releasing five living hostages, including an American-Israeli, in exchange for Israel allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, a week-long ceasefire, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, according to the Associated Press.

Before Israel announced on March 29 that it had submitted a proposal to mediators, in full coordination with the United States, that included a truce stipulating the return of half of the 24 hostages believed to be still alive in Gaza, and about half of the 35 believed to be dead, during a truce lasting between 40 and 50 days.

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Anwar, a member of the Foreign Affairs Council and an academic specializing in Israeli affairs, believes the Egyptian proposal "presents a new opportunity to bridge the gaps and loopholes to revive negotiations and halt the escalation with an agreement that restores aid to the Gaza Strip." He believes the Egyptian proposal is likely to "offer a compromise that satisfies both sides of the war, but this depends on US pressure on Israel."

Palestinian political analyst Dr. Hussam Al-Dajani believes the Egyptian proposal represents a new step toward ending the crisis, noting that "any approach or proposal that ends with halting the genocide will be accepted by the Palestinian resistance." He believes Netanyahu poses the challenge to the Egyptian proposal's acceptance, anticipating that he will maneuver and set new conditions and demands, especially since stopping the war is not a priority for him.

Three Israeli officials said Saturday that Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday and meet with Trump, according to Axios.

Trump announced a few days ago that Netanyahu might visit the United States within days, emphasizing that he would seek to resolve the "Gaza Strip problem." This came after speaking with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi last week to discuss "possible solutions in the Gaza Strip."

During a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Sisi stressed "the importance of restoring calm through an immediate ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid," according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

According to Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tamim Khallaf, on Saturday, the Egyptian Foreign Minister emphasized his country's support for the Palestinian Authority during a meeting with a delegation from the Palestinian Fatah movement, affirming "rejection of Israeli attempts to undermine the unity of the Palestinian territories and separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank."

During the meeting, Abdel-Ati also stressed "Egypt's complete rejection of the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Israel's aggressive policy in the region, its use of brutal military force without the slightest regard for international humanitarian law, the continued extremist practices of the Israeli occupation against civilians, and its treatment of Israel as a state above the law."

He said, "The illusions of power will not help Israel achieve the security it envisions. Rather, the atrocities it is committing will only instil feelings of hatred and revenge against it in the region, and will place further obstacles in the way of peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the region, which will have a profoundly negative impact on its security, stability, and the chances of achieving sustainable peace in the region." He warned of the consequences of the continued shameful international silence regarding what is happening in the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Minister Abdel-Ati reiterated Egypt's rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their land, addressing the Arab-Islamic plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the Middle East this week and is scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who heads the Israeli negotiating team, Axios reported Friday, citing a US official. The official noted that he may also travel to Doha or Cairo if there are developments in the negotiations regarding the Gaza deal.

Meanwhile, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, threatened on Friday: “We have decided not to transfer prisoners from these areas that Israel is demanding be evacuated, and to keep them under strict security measures, but these measures are extremely dangerous to their lives.” He added: “If Israel is concerned about the lives of these detainees, it must immediately negotiate their evacuation or release.”

Returning to Anwar, who expects a truce before Passover, this is reinforced by Trump's meeting with Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, and the US president's visit to the region next month. These visits are also being complemented by Macron's visit to Arish on Tuesday.

Al-Dajani believes that "Hamas is interested in stopping the massacre committed by Israel against civilians in the Gaza Strip," noting that "any approach or proposal that ends with stopping the genocide will be accepted by the Palestinian resistance."