Egypt Daily News – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement in Gaza “is the best opportunity to address the humanitarian crisis and achieve regional stability.”
During a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel Atti, in Cairo, Blinken called on all parties to work towards de-escalation in the region, adding that “reaching a ceasefire in Gaza will lead to de-escalation.”
Blinken pointed out that “15 out of 18 items in the proposed ceasefire agreement have been agreed upon, but the remaining issues need to be resolved.”
Blinken said that “resolving the remaining issues in the proposed ceasefire agreement in Gaza is more a matter of political will than anything else.”
The U.S. Secretary of State confirmed that his visit to the region “comes as we are working diligently to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Blinken continued, saying: “We discussed in Egypt the plans related to the day after the ceasefire in Gaza, and Egypt is an important partner.”
For his part, Abdel Aati mentioned that “there is a consensus on the need for a ceasefire and the urgent need to reach an agreement that entails the release of hostages and prisoners and the delivery of aid to the residents of Gaza.”
Abdel Aati said that “Egypt will not accept any amendments to the rules prior to October 7 regarding border security with Gaza and the operation of the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side.”
The two sides also touched upon the relations between Washington and Cairo, where Blinken announced the launch of the strategic dialogue between the United States and Egypt. He said that the United States supports Egypt in reforming its economy to make it more competitive and dynamic.
Blinken added that he discussed the issue of reforms concerning the criminal law in Egypt and the respect for freedom of expression for dissenters.
Blinken arrived in Cairo on Wednesday morning for a brief visit, during which he discussed efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
This visit, the tenth for Blinken to the region since the war between Israel and Hamas began nearly a year ago, is notable for not including Israel or even any other country.
Earlier, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discussed with Blinken ways to “enhance efforts” between Egypt, the United States, and Qatar, which is mediating between Hamas and Israel to advance ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian presidency announced in a statement that President Sisi received Blinken, who is visiting Cairo, and “views were exchanged on how to enhance joint efforts between Egypt, the United States, and Qatar to move forward in negotiations for a ceasefire, the exchange of hostages and detainees, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid” to the Gaza Strip.
