Egyptian initiative demands immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Egypt launched an initiative demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urging Israel to stop its aggressions on the Palestinian people in the enclave, official MENA news agency reported on Monday.
"Egypt invites both Israel and the Palestinian factions for immediate ceasefire as escalation, violence, counter-violence and the resultant victims will not be in favor of any of the two parties," says the text of the initiative.
The initiative urges both Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza " to stop all acts of aggression whether via land, sea or air" while opening border crossings to facilitate traffic of people and goods in the light of stable security conditions on the ground.
Israel is currently carrying out a massive military operation against the Palestinian Gaza Strip that has started on Tuesday early morning, leaving at least 185 Palestinians killed and around 1,400 injured so far.
The Egyptian peacemaking initiative starts on Tuesday early morning and demands ceasefire within 12 hours of its announcement "and the acceptance of both parties without preconditions."
It also includes holding separate talks with high profile Israeli and Palestinian delegates in Cairo within 48 hours from carrying out the initiative to address the required measures for building mutual trust. The talks will be based on the 2012 truce brokered by Cairo.
"Egypt is to get guarantees from both sides regarding commitment to what has been agreed upon," the initiative says.
Over the past few days, Egypt has opened Rafah border crossing adjacent to Gaza to admit injured people into nearby Egyptian hospitals. It also sent 500 tons of foodstuff and medicine as "a gift from the Egyptian people" to the conflict-stricken enclave.
On Friday, Egypt expressed rejection of "the Israeli irresponsible escalation in the Palestinian occupied lands through excessive and unjustifiable use of military force."
The country brokered a truce between Hamas-ruled Gaza and Israel in 2012, during the one-year rein of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi who was ousted by the military last year.