UPDATES WITH DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE
By Ahmed Asmar
ANKARA (AA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Cairo early Wednesday to meet top Egyptian officials to discuss and push efforts for a possible cease-fire in Gaza.
Blinken’s visit is part of US efforts to pile pressure to reach a cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Hamas group, the US-funded Al-Hurra TV said.
The channel, however, stated that US officials don't expect a breakthrough during Blinken's talks with Egyptian officials.
The visit marks his 10th trip to the Middle East since Israel launched its deadly war on Gaza on Oct. 7 last year.
According to a State Department statement, Blinken will also co-chair the opening of the US-Egyptian Strategic Dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during his visit between Sept. 17 and 19.
It added that Blinken "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."
The statement, however, didn't reveal if the secretary will visit other countries in the region.
For months, the US, Qatar, and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.
Netanyahu insists on maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor area on the Gaza-Egypt border, a position vehemently rejected by Cairo and Hamas.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
More than 41,200 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 95,400 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.