United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on 10 June to discuss the Gaza and ongoing ceasefire developments, a presidential press release reported.
Egypt’s Director of the General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel – an ever-present figure during high-level ceasefire talks – was also present during the meeting.
“The meeting reviewed the latest developments pertinent to joint efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and exchange hostages and captives,” the press release stated. “It was agreed to intensify these efforts during the current phase.”
Blinken is currently on a Middle East tour to expedite the latest ceasefire terms proposed by US President Joe Biden. The three-phase ceasefire proposal includes releasing hostages, increasing aid, and ceasing military operations.
The talks also covered Egypt’s continued efforts to provide access to humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, with both figures reiterating their rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Blinken also thanked Al-Sisi for Egypt’s leadership in mediating the proposal, the US press release of the meeting highlighted.
The US Secretary held a press conference shortly after the meeting, mentioning that Egyptian officials were in communication with Hamas officials a few hours before seeing Al-Sisi.
Blinken is set to also visit Israel, Jordan, and Qatar until 12 June in a bid to finalize a ceasefire agreement.
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