CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Tuesday in Cairo to discuss ways to advance negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, the Egyptian presidency said.
The high-level talks come as the conflict in the region continues to escalate, raising concerns about a potential regional war after Israeli actions in Beirut and Tehran in July.
During the meeting, President El-Sisi emphasized the urgency of reaching a ceasefire agreement and warned of the dire consequences if the Gaza war were to spread beyond its current scope.
“The ceasefire in Gaza must be the beginning of broader international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, as this is the basic guarantor of stability in the region,” El-Sisi stated. He underscored that achieving a sustainable peace requires addressing the underlying issues and securing international support for the Palestinian cause.
Secretary Blinken, who arrived in Cairo after visiting Tel Aviv, was in the Egyptian capital to discuss potential progress on a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages. His visit follows recent talks in Israel where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted a US “bridging proposal” aimed to narrow the gaps between the conflicting parties.
Blinken urged Hamas to consider the proposal as a basis for further negotiations, though it has faced criticism and calls for clarification from Palestinian representatives.
The Palestinian group has expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal, accusing Israel and its US ally of reneging on previously agreed terms. The Palestinian groups have not outright rejected the proposal but have criticized it for allegedly undermining earlier agreements and prolonging the negotiation process.
Hamas on Tuesday strongly condemned claims by US President Joe Biden that the Palestinian group was backing away from a Gaza ceasefire deal, calling his remarks a “green light” for Israel to continue its brutal bombardment campaign in Gaza.
The “misleading claims… do not reflect the true position of the Palestinian movement, which is keen to reach a ceasefire” agreement, Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas rejected Biden’s claims that it was retreating from a proposed truce deal, describing his remarks as “misleading” and reflecting a clear “American bias” towards Israel. The Palestinian group argued that Biden’s comments amounted to an endorsement of the Israeli government’s actions of targeting “defenceless civilians” in Gaza.
Biden, in his address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, remarked on the state of negotiations concerning the Gaza conflict. Hamas viewed these remarks as an “American green light” for the Israeli government, which they accuse of committing “more crimes” against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Hamas’s statement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Egypt Tuesday for talks on a Gaza ceasefire.
Blinken, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, will afterwards head to Qatar, which along with Egypt is brokering negotiations for a truce in the 10-month-old conflict.
Hamas said it is committed to a ceasefire framework outlined by Biden on May 31 which he said had been proposed by Israel.
It described the latest US modifications to that plan as “a coup against” the previous framework, accusing Washington of “acquiescing” to conditions set by Netanyahu.
“Netanyahu was always the one obstructing an agreement and setting new conditions and demands,” Hamas said, calling on “the US administration to reverse its policy of blind bias towards the Zionist war criminals.”
It called on the “mediators to assume their responsibilities” and oblige Israel to accept the original proposal.
Earlier, Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an updated proposal, adding it “raises many ambiguities” because it is “not what was presented to us nor what we agreed on.”
He told Reuters that Hamas has already confirmed to mediators that they don’t need new Gaza ceasefire talks, they need to agree on an implementation mechanism.
Earlier, Blinken urged Israel and Hamas not to derail the ceasefire talks that he stated may be a “last opportunity” to secure a Gaza truce and hostage release agreement.
The US Secretary of State, who met with the Israeli President and Prime Minister, emphasized that the current moment may represent the best and last opportunity to obtain a truce and facilitate the return of captives.
Hamas asserted “a permanent truce and a comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza”, adding Netanyahu wanted to keep Israeli troops at several strategic locations. Israeli Prime Minister was “fully responsible for thwarting the efforts of the mediators”, Hamas said in a statement.
Efforts to broker a truce have been ongoing for months, but recent events have further intensified the stakes. The late July assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip have added more pressure to the negotiations. The humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip has also worsened, with reports of widespread destruction and a dire need for help amid ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Israeli bombardment campaign since October 7 has killed at least 40,173 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza, the territory’s health ministry reported. On Tuesday, Israeli military officials announced the recovery of six hostages’ bodies from southern Gaza, bringing the total number of hostages believed to be held in the territory to 109, with around a third estimated to be deceased.
Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday resulted in at least 21 additional deaths, including in a school sheltering displaced Palestinians. Gaza’s health ministry reported a critical delay in receiving polio vaccines, as a recent outbreak has further strained the territory’s already overwhelmed healthcare system. The UN has called for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate the vaccination campaign and address the urgent humanitarian needs.
