Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed today to intensify efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Sisi received Blinken in Cairo at the start of his new regional tour, which will see him visit Jordan and Qatar, Blinken’s eighth tour of the Middle East since October 7 last year.
“Sisi and Blinken discussed joint efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange agreement,” the Egyptian president’s office said in a statement.
Egypt’s efforts to provide access to humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza were also discussed.
“Blinken conveyed the US administration’s appreciation for Egypt’s ongoing efforts at the political and humanitarian levels, as well as bilateral coordination to restore security and peace in the region,” the statement said.
Israel has been carrying out continuous attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7 of last year, in which more than 37,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed so far, and close to 84,700 have been injured.
Israel has been accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge, AA writes.
Photo: US Embassy in Egypt
