Blinken heads to Egypt for Gaza cease-fire
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Egypt to attend a three day US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue.
However, his more crucial engagement is to secure a cease-fire deal and negotiate prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.
This is Blinken’s 10th visit to the Middle East since last October, highlighting the US’s active involvement.
A recent three-phase plan proposed by President Joe Biden involves a cease-fire, a prisoner exchange, Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and a boost in humanitarian aid.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to withdraw from Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor has hindered progress, even though US officials say 90% of the cease-fire terms have been agreed upon.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has urged Netanyahu to prioritize the cease-fire, stressing the importance of returning prisoners for national healing.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Jordan for a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League Contact Group to push for a permanent cease-fire and increase support for Palestinian refugees.
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