UPDATE 2 – Egypt’s Sisi discusses Gaza aid, hostages' release with US’ Blinken

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE, ADDS CHANGES

By Ahmed Asmar

ISTANBUL (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks in Cairo on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on another regional tour to push for peace in the Mideast.

The talks focused on efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza, swapping detainees and the entry of aid to end the human suffering in the strip, the presidency said in a statement.

Sisi highlighted Egypt’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza in coordination with international relief agencies, the statement said.

The Egyptian leader underlined the pivotal role played by the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in providing aid to Gazans, even as numerous countries – including the US – have cut off aid to the agency amid Israeli allegations that some of its staffers helped Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

Blinken said he discussed with the Egyptian leader efforts to increase life-saving aid into Gaza and secure the release of all hostages.

“We also discussed shared regional stability objectives, including halting threats to Red Sea security by the Houthis” in Yemen, he added on X.

According to the State Department, Blinken praised Egypt’s leadership role in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.

He also stressed the US rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and commitment to establishing a Palestinian state that provides peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Blinken arrived in the Egyptian capital early Tuesday for the second stop on his latest regional tour to push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. He visited Saudi Arabia on Monday and is also scheduled to visit Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank during the tour.

At least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed and 66,978 others injured in a deadly offensive launched by Israel following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people. More than 130 Israelis remain in Hamas’ captivity.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught, while all are food insecure, according to the UN. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and ⁠less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.