US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday in Cairo that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza would be the most effective way to prevent the violence from spreading throughout the Middle East.
This marks Blinken’s tenth visit to the region since the war began, following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.
His trip aimed to revive stalled negotiations facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to end the hostilities.
Notably, his itinerary did not include stops in any other regional countries, including Israel.
“We discussed the importance of getting this deal across the finish line, something we will continue to pursue with our Qatari counterparts,” Blinken told journalists at a joint press conference alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
“We all know that a ceasefire is the best chance to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to address risks to regional stability,” he added.
After the meeting with Blinken, Sisi’s office reported that the two leaders discussed “ways to intensify joint efforts between Egypt, the US, and Qatar to make progress on ceasefire negotiations and the exchange of hostages and detainees.”
Sisi also called for “decisive intervention to remove obstacles to the entry of large amounts of aid” into Gaza and to “end Israeli violations in the West Bank,” according to the statement.
Violence has escalated in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, with Israel conducting large-scale raids in recent weeks.