U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pushing for progress towards a ceasefire and a hostage release deal in Gaza during his visit to Egypt.
Despite ongoing negotiations, significant disputes remain to be resolved in talks scheduled for later this week.
Blinken’s diplomatic mission began with meetings in Israel on Monday, and he is now headed to Qatar, which, along with the U.S. and Egypt, is mediating the Gaza discussions.
He reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a U.S. “bridging proposal” designed to narrow the gaps between the conflicting parties and urged Hamas to do the same.
During his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Blinken emphasized the urgency of ending the war, while Sisi warned of the potential for the conflict to escalate further in the region.
The ongoing war in Gaza started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched attacks on Israeli communities, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.