Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty discussed with his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, developments in the Gaza Strip and developments in Syria.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Abdel-Ati received a phone call from Blinken yesterday evening, Saturday, during which he stressed “the importance of continuing concerted regional and international efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire and ensure unhindered access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.”
She added that the minister “stressed the need for Israel to stop its aggressive policies towards the Palestinian people, completely rejecting the systematic targeting of health infrastructure and hospitals in the Gaza Strip.”
The US State Department said in a statement published on its website that the two ministers “discussed the latest developments in the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza to ensure the release of detainees, increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and end the war.”
Since the start of the genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been targeting the health sector, bombing and besieging hospitals, threatening to evacuate them, and preventing the entry of medical supplies, especially in the areas north of the Gaza Strip, which it invaded on October 5 last year.
Political transition
Regarding the developments in Syria, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement said that Abdel-Ati affirmed “Egypt’s standing by the Syrian people, stressing the need for the political transition process in Syria to be comprehensive, and to take place with national ownership, away from any external dictates, in a way that contributes to achieving security and stability.” In Syria, it guarantees the unity of the Syrian state and the integrity of its territories.”
The US State Department statement stated that Blinken and Abdel-Aty “discussed the situation in Syria, and the Minister (Blinken) affirmed the United States’ support for a comprehensive, peaceful political transition process led and by the Syrians to a government that represents (all) and is subject to accountability.”
He added that Blinken expressed his appreciation for the role played by Egypt in ensuring peace in the region, and stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt.
On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions – formed under the name “Military Operations Department” – extended their control over the capital, Damascus, and before that over other cities, ending 61 years of rule by the Baath Party regime and 53 years of rule by the Assad family.
Subsequently, the leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, announced that Muhammad Al-Bashir – the head of the government that had administered Idlib (northwest of the country) for years – was assigned to form a new government to manage a transitional phase.
