US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in Cairo on Wednesday that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza would be the optimal approach to prevent the escalation of violence in the Middle East. This marks Blinken's tenth visit to the region since the war began, triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. His mission was to revive stalled negotiations, facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, aimed at ending the conflict. His itinerary did not include any other regional stops, such as Israel.
"We emphasized the significance of concluding this agreement, a goal we will continue to pursue with our Qatari partners," Blinken told journalists during a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. "We all recognize that a ceasefire offers the best opportunity to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and mitigate risks to regional stability," he added.
Following his meeting with Blinken, President Sisi's office revealed that they discussed "methods to intensify joint efforts between Egypt, the US, and Qatar to advance ceasefire negotiations and the exchange of hostages and detainees." Sisi also called for "decisive action to remove barriers to the entry of substantial aid" into Gaza and "ending Israeli violations in the West Bank."
Violence has escalated in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the war erupted in Gaza, with Israel conducting extensive raids in recent weeks. Blinken arrived in Cairo just hours after hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members simultaneously exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday, resulting in 12 deaths and over 2,750 injuries. Blinken dismissed reports that the United States had prior knowledge or involvement in the attack, which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel, the US's key ally. Israel has not yet commented on the blasts.
"Regarding Lebanon, the United States was unaware of, nor involved in, these incidents, and we are still gathering information and facts," he said in Cairo. "Broadly speaking, we have been and remain clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any actions that could escalate the conflict."
US news site Axios reported that minutes before the attack, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed his US counterpart Lloyd Austin of an imminent operation in Lebanon, without providing details. After months of clashes along its northern border with Lebanon, Israel announced on Tuesday that it was expanding the objectives of its war against Hamas to include its fight against Hezbollah.
During his Cairo visit, Blinken also discussed strengthening US-Egyptian relations. Egypt, often criticized for human rights abuses, remains a strategic US partner, and last week Washington decided to release $1.3 billion in military aid without attaching rights conditions, unlike in 2023. After Cairo, Blinken is scheduled to travel to Paris to brief his French, British, and Italian counterparts.
