© UnknownGaza Strip
The executive would include a group of experts tasked with administering the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat said Monday.
The proposed plan falls far short of Israel's stated goal of completely crushing Hamas and does not appear to address Israel's insistence on maintaining military control over Gaza for an extended period after the war.
Israel's war cabinet, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet later Monday to discuss the hostage situation, among other issues, an Israeli official said, but did not say whether it would discuss the Egyptian proposal.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
News of the proposal comes after three bloody days in Gaza before Christmas Day, during which Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of Palestinians at a time and 17 soldiers were killed in ground fighting in the north, central and the south of the territory.
The war has devastated large parts of Gaza, killed more than 20,400 Palestinians and displaced almost all of the territory's 2.3 million residents.
The growing death toll among Israeli troops could erode public support for the war, sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on October 7.
Israelis still largely support the country's stated goals of crushing Hamas' government and military capabilities and freeing the remaining 129 prisoners.
This is despite growing international pressure against the Israeli offensive, rising death tolls and unprecedented suffering among Palestinians.
The Egyptian proposal was an ambitious attempt not only to end the war, but also to develop a plan for the next day.
It calls for an initial ceasefire lasting up to two weeks, during which Palestinian militants would release 40 to 50 hostages, including women, the sick and the elderly, in exchange for the release of 120 to 150 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, Egypt said. an official said.
At the same time, negotiations will continue on extending the ceasefire and releasing more hostages and bodies held by Palestinian militants, he said.
Egypt and Qatar will also work with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to agree on the creation of a government of experts, he said.
The government would lead Gaza and the West Bank during a transition period while Palestinian factions resolve their differences and agree on a road map for holding presidential and parliamentary elections, he added.
In the meantime, Israel and Hamas will continue to negotiate a comprehensive "all-things-for-all" deal, he said.
This would involve the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for all Palestinian prisoners in Israel, as well as the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza and a cessation of rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian militants.
Comment: Bet a shekel it's not Bibi's cup of tea.