The French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced a trilateral summit with the leaders of Egypt and Jordan to discuss the situation in Gaza, reported Agence France Presse (AFP).
This comes as Egypt floated a new ceasefire proposal to de-escalate the situation in Gaza amid an intensified Israeli military campaign that continues for a third consecutive week, killing hundreds of Palestinians and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate areas in northern Gaza.
Macron in Egypt
The French President on Saturday announced that he will visit Cairo to discuss the situation in Gaza with Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. According to Macron’s office, he will arrive in Cairo on Sunday evening, hold bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterpart on Monday morning, and hold the trilateral summit later on the same day.
“In response to the Gaza emergency and during my visit to Egypt at President Al-Sisi’s invitation, we will hold a trilateral summit with the Egyptian president and the King of Jordan,” Macron wrote on X.
En réponse à l'urgence à Gaza et dans le cadre de la visite que je m’apprête à effectuer en Égypte à l'invitation du Président al-Sissi, nous tiendrons un sommet trilatéral avec le Président égyptien et le Roi de Jordanie.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 5, 2025
Macron on Tuesday will visit the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, 50 kilometers west of Gaza and a transit point for aid heading to the Strip, to meet with humanitarian and security workers and stress his “constant mobilization in favor of a ceasefire,” according to the French President’s office.
Discussing Gaza Situation
On Saturday, Macron and Al-Sisi had a phone conversation where they discussed several topics, including the recent developments in Gaza. Both leaders explored the possibility of holding a trilateral French-Egyptian-Jordanian summit in Cairo during Macron’s visit to Egypt.
Furthermore, they reviewed Egypt’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza in light of the latest developments in the Strip, stressing the urgent need for restoring calm through an immediate ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid. They also underscored the importance of the two-state solution as the only guarantee for achieving enduring peace in the region, according to the Spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy.
New Egyptian Ceasefire Proposal
Amid the ongoing Israeli military escalation in Gaza, Egypt has floated a new ceasefire proposal to advance negotiations and offer a potential path for restoring calm, according to Asharq Al-Awsat. This will be the fourth Egyptian ceasefire proposal in less than a month, aimed at bridging the gaps between previous proposals which failed to gain consensus.
On Saturday, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, met with a high-level delegation from the Palestinian Fatah movement, led by the Central Committee Secretary, Jibril Rajoub. Their talks focused on the recent developments in the West Bank and Gaza. They also discussed Egypt’s efforts to consolidate a ceasefire and accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Egypt has not revealed the details of the latest ceasefire proposal. However, the Israeli public broadcaster said that the new proposal aims to resolve disputes over the ceasefire and prisoner exchange. The proposal is aimed at reaching a compromise on the mediators’ proposal which included the release of 5 living Israeli hostages and Israel’s demand for returning 11 living hostages.
Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
After nearly a two-month truce, ceasefire negotiations collapsed on March 18, 2025, and Israel resumed its air and ground operations in Gaza. Several proposals were made to restore the ceasefire agreement which came into force in January 19. These included a plan floated by the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, which called for extending the first phase until mid-April, exchanging more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
However, both sides disagreed. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ capabilities and frees all hostages.
Days later, Egypt floated the release of 5 Israeli hostages each week, in return for allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, pausing fighting for a week, and releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The proposal also included a timeline for a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, supported by US guarantees, in return for releasing the remaining hostages.
On the other hand, Israel offered a counter-proposal, in coordination with the US. It included a truce, extending for 40 to 50 days, in exchange for returning half of the living hostages and the remains of half of those believed dead.
