Blinken to visit Egypt to discuss Gaza ceasefire

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Tuesday to discuss a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages with Egyptian officials, the State Department said.

Washington, along with mediators Qatar and Egypt, has for months sought to broker a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to halt the war and secure the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The two main obstacles now are Israel's demand to keep its forces in the Philadelphi corridor to maintain a buffer between Gaza and Egypt, and the specifics of an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Blinken will discuss efforts to reach a deal "that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and helps establish broader regional security," the State Department said in a statement.

Reuters