Today, Monday, from Cairo, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on the leaders of the region to pressure the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to agree to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza, describing the movement as “the only obstacle” to achieving this goal.
In turn, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed – during a meeting with Blinken – the importance of concerted international efforts to remove obstacles to the implementation of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the necessity of ending the war on the Strip, preventing the expansion of the conflict, and moving forward with the implementation of the two-state solution.
Blinken said – at the beginning of his eighth tour to the region since the start of the war on Gaza – “If you want a ceasefire, put pressure on Hamas to accept it… Hamas is the only one that did not accept the three-stage proposal, which includes releasing the hostages and holding talks in order to end the fighting.” “.
Stop fighting
He added, “Achieving a ceasefire will open the door to a permanent cessation of fighting in Gaza. We will continue our efforts to achieve a ceasefire and release the hostages, and it is also important to work on plans for the next day after the war.”
The American official also confirmed that Washington is working to bring more aid into the besieged Strip, “regardless of whether an agreement is reached or not.”
Blinken is expected to travel later today to Israel, and will land during this week in Jordan and Qatar, in an effort by the US administration to get all parties to accept reaching a ceasefire agreement.
His current visit aims to push for the approval of a three-stage “Israeli” ceasefire proposal revealed by US President Joe Biden at the end of last month.
The visit comes after Israeli Minister of War Council Benny Gantz announced yesterday, Sunday, his resignation from the emergency government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, which means the withdrawal of the only centrist force from the ruling coalition that is now dominated by the far right.
It also came after a bloody Israeli military operation in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, with American assistance, the day before yesterday, Saturday, which resulted in the martyrdom of 274 Palestinians – most of them women and children – in exchange for the recovery of 4 Israeli detainees.
Aid delivery
On the other hand, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed – during his meeting with Blinken – the necessity of concerted international efforts to remove obstacles to the delivery of aid to Gaza, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.
The statement stated that the meeting between the two parties “witnessed a discussion of Egyptian efforts to implement humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and the President was keen to stress the importance of concerted international efforts to remove obstacles to its implementation, the necessity of ending the war on the Gaza Strip, preventing the expansion of the conflict, and moving forward with implementing the two-state solution.”
The Egyptian presidential spokesman stated – in a statement posted on Facebook – that the two sides reviewed the latest developments in the joint efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and exchange hostages and detainees, and it was agreed to intensify these efforts during the current stage.
He added that the meeting also witnessed the two sides affirming the strength of the Egyptian-American strategic partnership, and the two countries’ keenness to continue joint coordination on various topics and issues.
It is noteworthy that on May 31, US President Joe Biden announced a three-stage “Israeli” proposal that includes a ceasefire, Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, an exchange of prisoners in the Strip in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and the entry of aid into the Strip and its reconstruction.
The Hamas movement announced that it viewed the proposal “positively”, stressing that it is ready to accept any agreement that achieves its basic demands of a ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip.
