Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Tuesday of the chance of the Gaza conflict increasing regionally in a manner “difficult to imagine” throughout a gathering with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in El-Alamein in northern Egypt.
The two sides reviewed mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the US to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza and swap prisoners, the Egyptian presidency stated in a press release.
They additionally exchanged views concerning the outcomes of the final spherical of Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar and methods to realize progress in a deliberate spherical of the talks in Cairo this week, it added.
Blinken briefed the Egyptian chief on the end result of his go to to Israel and underlined the US dedication to reaching a cease-fire settlement, the assertion stated.
The high US diplomat is scheduled to satisfy with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Abbas Kamel throughout his go to to Egypt.
He will journey to Qatar later within the day for Gaza cease-fire talks with high Qatari officers.
Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday for his ninth go to to the area to advance efforts geared toward reaching a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.
Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar concluded on Friday by presenting “a proposal that narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas that’s in step with the ideas set out by Biden on May 31.
Biden stated in May that Israel introduced a three-phase deal that might finish hostilities in Gaza and safe the discharge of hostages held within the coastal enclave. The plan features a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner trade, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
But Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday of setting new circumstances within the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was floated through the Doha talks.
“The new proposal meets Netanyahu’s conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas stated in a press release.
“He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal,” it added.
For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been making an attempt to achieve an settlement between Israel and Hamas to make sure a prisoner trade and cease-fire and permit humanitarian support to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled on account of Netanyahu’s refusal to satisfy Hamas’s calls for to cease the conflict.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas assault on Oct. 7, 2023 regardless of a UN Security Council decision calling for a direct cease-fire.
The battle has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, largely ladies and youngsters, and greater than 92,740 accidents, in line with native well being authorities.
The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to extreme shortages of meals, clear water, and drugs, leaving a lot of the area in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide on the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to army operations within the southern metropolis of Rafah, the place over a million Palestinians had sought refuge earlier than the world was invaded on May 6.
Source: www.anews.com.tr