U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday landed in Cairo for his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as the United States works to advance a Gaza truce and hostage deal mediated by the Egyptians and Qataris.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is welcomed by Sarah Henry, Second Secretary at the Protocol Department of Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protocol, upon his arrival at Cairo Airport, in Cairo, February 6, 2024. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday landed in Cairo for his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as the United States works to advance a Gaza truce and hostage deal mediated by the Egyptians and Qataris.
The top U.S. diplomat departed Riyadh shortly after sunrise for what is set to be a marathon day visiting Egypt and Qatar before flying to Israel to discuss hostage negotiations, post-war Gaza plans and the prospect of Arab countries and Israel normalizing ties.
Blinken's fifth trip to the region since October comes as the United States presses ahead with its retaliatory campaign against Iran-aligned militia which had attacked last month and killed U.S. troops in a military outpost in Jordan.
Washington sees a possible truce to free remaining hostages Hamas kidnapped on Oct. 7 and pause fighting in Gaza as key to progress on other challenges, such as the governance of post-war Gaza, a path towards Palestinian statehood and a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize their relationship.
Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk
In a post published Monday on Truth Social, President Donald Trump issued what amounts to a sweeping diplomatic ultimatum to the Arab and Muslim world: normalise with Israel through the Abraham Accords, or forfeit any role in the Iran agreement he is working to finalise.
Egyptian authorities on Thursday exhibited a plaster blocking wall of King Tutankhamun's tomb in Luxor and unveiled two restored ancient tombs on the West Bank of the city that date back to the New Kingdom and contain scenes of daily life and funerary rituals.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi received French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday in New Borg El-Arab City for the inauguration of Senghor University's new headquarters, an occasion that also served as the backdrop for substantive bilateral talks covering the Middle East's most pressing crises.
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