France's foreign minister arrived in Cairo on Wednesday on an unscheduled stop during a Middle East tour as efforts to secure a truce between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages in Gaza reach a critical point. Diplomatic efforts towards securing a ceasefire were intensifying following a renewed push led by Egypt to revive stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas, Gaza's ruling Palestinian Islamist group.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday primarily discussed the release of hostages in Gaza, a source familiar with their phone call said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia next week to discuss cease-fire efforts, the State Department said on Saturday. Blinken’s trip on Monday comes as Egypt, Qatar, Israel and Hamas have not managed to reach a cease-fire and the release of hostages over having different demands. Apart from discussions about a cease-fire…
Hardline Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned on Sunday that he would bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if a planned military ground assault on Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip is called off. Smotrich's warning came amid attempts in Egypt to secure a fresh ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by the militant Palestinian organization Hamas. "Agreement with the Egyptian deal is a humiliating capitulation and grants the Nazis a victory on the ba