Egyptian, US Presidents Discuss Efforts To Reach Cease-Fire In Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his US counterpart Joe Biden held discussions Monday on ongoing efforts to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Sisi received a phone call from Biden, during which they spoke about the latest developments in the negotiations and Egyptian efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency.

The Egyptian president warned of "the seriousness of any Israeli military escalation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, highlighting its potentially catastrophic dimensions for the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region and its impact on regional security and stability."

On April 18, an Israeli government spokesperson said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had set a date for invading Rafah.

The southern Gaza city of Rafah is the last remaining area in the enclave where Israel has not yet formally announced the entry of its troops to continue the onslaught against Palestinians.

Egypt also confirmed Monday that there is a new proposal for a truce in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

"There is a proposal on the table to reach a truce in Gaza," Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said during a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia.

Indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are taking place in both Cairo and Doha, aimed at reaching a deal that includes a prisoner swap under which Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinians being released from Israeli jails.

Hamas is estimated to be holding more than 130 Israeli hostages, while Tel Aviv is holding more than 9,100 Palestinians in its prisons.

Hamas demands an end to Israel's deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory for any hostage-prisoner swap deal with Tel Aviv.

A previous deal in November 2023 saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,600 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar -