U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced today, Thursday, that the United States continues to press for an agreement to release hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing talks in Doha. In a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri in Cairo, Blinken stated that there is still difficult work ahead to reach an agreement, but "I still believe it is possible." Blinken noted that Israel "still needs to do more to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza."
For his part, the Egyptian Foreign Minister confirmed "the rejection of any Israeli military operation in Rafah," stating, "There is no room for the continuation of the war."
The Egyptian minister explained that he emphasized during his discussions with Blinken the necessity of "intensifying aid in light of the unprecedented situation in the Gaza Strip." They also addressed, according to Shukri, "the ongoing war and the starvation condition amidst humanitarian suffering in Rafah."
Additionally, Foreign Ministers from five Arab countries met in Cairo today to discuss "efforts to stop the Israeli war against Gaza" in the presence of a Palestinian official close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
