It “clouds” the dream of “Peace on Earth” in Gaza. Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad rejected an Egyptian offer to relinquish power in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a permanent truce, while Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear to the Israeli citizens that the war it’s far from over.

Both organizations, which are holding separate talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo, have ruled out moving forward in additional concessions in addition to the possible release of more hostages held since Oct. 7, when militants stormed southern Israel killing 1,200 people, two Egyptian sources told Reuters.

Egypt has proposed a “perspective”, backed by Qatari mediators, that would include a ceasefire in exchange for the release of more hostages and lead to a broader deal that would see a permanent ceasefire along with a leadership reshuffle in Gaza, currently ruled by Hamas.

Egypt proposed holding elections while offering Hamas assurances that its members they will not be pursued or prosecutedbut the Islamist organization rejected any concession beyond the release of hostages, the sources said. More than 100 hostages are believed to be still being held in Gaza.

A Hamas official who recently visited Cairo declined to comment directly on specific offers of more temporary humanitarian truces and indicated the organization’s refusal by reiterating its official position.

“Hamas seeks to end Israeli aggression at the expense of our people, massacres and genocide and we have discussed with our Egyptian brothers the ways to do this,” the official told Reuters.

“We also said that aid to our people must continue and must increase and must reach to all the population in the north and the south,” the official pointed out.

“After the attacks stop and aid increases we are ready to discuss prisoner exchanges,” he added.

Islamic Jihad: “All for all”

Islamic Jihad, which is also holding hostages in Gaza, echoed that position.

A delegation of Islamic Jihad, led by Ziad al-Nakala, is currently in Cairo to exchange views with Egyptian officials on prisoner swap proposals and other issues, but one official said the group had made further negotiations conditional on an end to Israel’s military attacks.

Islamic Jihad insists, according to the official, that any prisoner exchange must be based on in the doctrine “all for all”which means liberation of all hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in exchange for release of all Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Before the war, 5,250 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons, but the number now increased to about 10,000, as Israel arrested thousands more in the West Bank and Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association.

At least 20,674 dead in Gaza

At least 20,674 people have been killed and 54,536 injured in Israeli raids in Gaza since October 7, the Hamas Health Ministry in the Palestinian enclave announced today.

The ministry added that 250 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours and 500 were injured.