Egyptian president meets Blinken, warns of regional expansion of Gaza war

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

​​​​​​​ISTANBUL (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Tuesday of the risk of the Gaza war expanding regionally in a way “difficult to imagine” during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in El-Alamein in northern Egypt.

The two sides reviewed mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the US to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and swap prisoners, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

They also exchanged views about the results of the last round of Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar and ways to achieve progress in a planned round of the talks in Cairo this week, it added.

Blinken briefed the Egyptian leader on the outcome of his visit to Israel and underlined the US commitment to reaching a cease-fire agreement, the statement said.

The top US diplomat is scheduled to meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Abbas Kamel during his visit to Egypt.

He will travel to Qatar later in the day for Gaza cease-fire talks with top Qatari officials.

Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday for his ninth visit to the region to advance efforts aimed at reaching a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar concluded on Friday by presenting "a proposal that narrows the gaps" between Israel and Hamas that is consistent with the principles set out by Biden on May 31.

Biden said in May 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, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

But Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday of setting new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was floated during the Doha talks.

“The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas said in a statement.

“He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal,” it added.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The conflict has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 92,740 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar