Egyptian-Israeli FMs Discuss Efforts to Solidify Gaza Ceasefire

On Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, received his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi in Cairo for talks in the first such official visit by a top Israeli diplomat to Egypt in 13 years, according to Egypt's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Ahmed Hafez.

In a statement, the spokesman said that Shoukry's meeting with Ashkenazi comes within the framework of Egypt's relentless and continuous efforts to revive the peace process and build on the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Palestine – which has ended 11 days of Israeli airstrikes' aggression that killed more than 250 and injured thousands of Palestinians.

He added that the Egyptian top diplomat, during the meeting, stressed the necessity to halt practices that lead to tension and escalate confrontations, stating that “appropriate conditions” must be created for abandoned Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations to urgently resume.

He pointed out that the duo also discussed planned efforts for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, battered by hundreds of Israeli airstrikes in the 11-day war.

On arrival in Cairo, Ashkenazi tweeted that he intended to discuss with Shoukry a permanent ceasefire with Hamas and mechanisms for providing humanitarian aid and reconstruction to Gaza with a “pivotal role” played by the International community.

Egypt and the US are working together to let Israelis and Palestinians live in safety and security, Blinken said, according to Reuters.

Ashkenazi's visit comes as a high-level Egyptian security delegation, led by the head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel, was dispatched to Israel on Sunday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss means to firm up the ceasefire with the Palestinians.

On 18 May, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the allocation of $500 million as part of an Egyptian initiative for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip – with the involvement of Egyptian companies – where tens of buildings had been destroyed leaving hundreds of Palestinians homeless in the enclave.

Blinken pledged last week an additional $75 million in development and economic aid to the Palestinians in 2021, $5.5 million in immediate disaster relief for Gaza and $32 million to the UN Palestinian aid agency.

This brings overall US assistance to Palestinians under the Biden administration to over $360 million after the previous administration led by Trump cut off assistance to Palestine.