US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt early Wednesday to advocate for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Egypt, along with Qatar, is mediating discussions between Israel and Hamas, with the US playing a key role in facilitating the negotiations.
Although the talks initially showed promise, they have since stalled due to new demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly regarding Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Blinken is set to meet with Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to discuss the peace process. A press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty is also scheduled. According to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken aims to secure a proposal acceptable to both Israel and Hamas.
This marks Blinken’s 10th visit to the Middle East since the conflict began, but notably, he will not visit Israel this time. US officials have indicated that a breakthrough is not expected during this visit, but Blinken’s goal is to maintain pressure for a resolution.
The visit comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with concerns that Netanyahu may soon approve a large-scale operation against the Lebanese militant group. Hezbollah has engaged in near-daily clashes with Israel, and thousands of Israelis in the north remain displaced due to the ongoing conflict.
Shortly before Blinken’s arrival, simultaneous explosions of pagers linked to Hezbollah killed around a dozen people and injured 2,700 in Lebanon. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attack, though the US denied prior knowledge of the incident.
