section_path: Background/Initial ceasefire and mediation
section_name: Initial ceasefire and mediation
paragraph_text: Initial ceasefire and mediation
  
  Following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel's subsequent declaration of war on Hamas, Egypt and Jordan began coordinating a response to avert an escalation of the conflict. Attempts to reach a ceasefire were raised at the United Nations Security Council in October; Israel requested the resignation of United Nations secretary-general António Guterres after he referred to Israel's retaliation as unjustified collective punishment. After Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu rejected a ceasefire, equating a halt in fighting to a surrender to Hamas and terrorism. United States secretary of state Antony Blinken presented "humanitarian pauses" to countries in the region but stated a ceasefire would allow Hamas to initiate a second attack on Israel. An agreement was nearly reached, but forfeited after Israel's invasion of Gaza.
  
  In a press conference in November, Netanyahu stated a ceasefire would necessitate a return of Israeli hostages taken during the attack. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt intensified efforts to reach a ceasefire; at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, Iran and Saudi Arabia urged for a ceasefire. The Washington Post reported on 18 November that the U.S. was nearing an agreement to release hostages and halt fighting, drafted during discussions in Doha, Qatar. On 22 November, Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages for prisoners and held a four-day ceasefire. President Biden was critical to restoring negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal. Israel and Hamas extended the ceasefire for an additional two days and released additional hostages and detainees, but Israel resumed its offensive after Qatari mediators could not resolve differences in terms.
  
  The U.S. government began urging Israel and Hamas to negotiate, according to National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby. In December, Egypt provided a ceasefire plan obtained by the Associated Press that would gradually release hostages and form a Palestinian government to administer Gaza and the occupied West Bank, relinquishing control from Hamas. Several days later, NPR reported on a revised proposal that would remove references to the governance of Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Efforts at the United Nations Security Council failed to offer a ceasefire over concerns relating to aid monitoring by the United Nations. By January, several Israeli commanders expressed beliefs that releasing hostages could only be achieved through diplomacy, according to The New York Times; general Gadi Eisenkot stated publicly that Israel should "rescue civilians, ahead of killing an enemy".