Blinken to head to Egypt to discuss Gaza cease-fire, hostage deal

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt this week to attend the US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue and discuss ongoing efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and hostage deal.

Blinken will depart Tuesday for Egypt, where he will co-chair the opening of the US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, aiming to "strengthen the bilateral relationship and deepen economic development,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

"In addition to co-chairing the strategic dialogue, the Secretary will meet with Egyptian officials to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and helps establish broader regional security," he added.

The visit, Blinken's 10th to the Middle East since Oct. 7 last year, comes as the US, along with Qatar and Egypt, are working to secure a cease-fire and hostage swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

US President Joe Biden said on May 31 that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in aid and a permanent end to hostilities.

A bridging proposal put forward by the US, Egypt and Qatar on Aug. 16 aimed to bridge the gaps over the prisoner exchange. However, critics argue that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic border area between Gaza and Egypt, has complicated potential prisoner exchange deals with Hamas.

Hamas continues to demand a full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and the return of displaced Palestinians.

While US officials say that 90% of the terms of a Gaza cease-fire and hostage deal have been agreed upon, Netanyahu rejects their assessment that a deal is close.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack last year by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed 1,139 people and led to the taking of around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Since then, more than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and nearly 94,400 injured, according to Gaza health authorities.​​​​​​​

Israel currently holds at least 9,500 Palestinian prisoners, while it estimates that 101 Israeli hostages are being held in Gaza, an unknown number of whom are believed to have been killed while in captivity.