Egypt strongly opposes the continuation of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and urges measures to prevent further escalation, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stated during a meeting in Cairo with CIA Director William Burns.
"Egypt does not accept the continuation of hostilities in Gaza. The international community must fulfill its responsibilities and stop this war," said el-Sisi, as quoted by his spokesman Ahmed Fahmy on his Facebook (banned in Russia; belongs to Meta corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia) page.
El-Sisi stressed the importance of taking serious and effective steps to prevent the expansion of the current conflict in the Middle East. During the meeting, both sides agreed that Egypt and the US will continue to coordinate their efforts to achieve regional and international stability.
This marks Burns' third visit to Cairo in 2024, aimed at participating in a new round of proximity talks regarding the Gaza conflict. This opportunity arose after Hamas responded to proposals presented by US President Joe Biden in late May. On July 3, the offices of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Mossad intelligence service announced they had received a response from Hamas representatives regarding the hostage deal through intermediaries and were preparing an Israeli reply. The following day, Hamas announced that its politburo chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had consulted with officials from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey on potential solutions for Gaza. Egypt and Qatar are mediators in the negotiations with Israel.
On May 31, President Biden announced the terms of a new draft agreement for a peace settlement in Gaza, which consists of three phases. The first phase, lasting six weeks, involves a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas, and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons. During this period, negotiations are to begin and the ceasefire will remain in place until an understanding is reached. The second phase involves the release of all hostages, including military personnel. The third phase focuses on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the transfer of the remains of deceased Israelis to their families.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS