Blinken Heads to Egypt for Critical Gaza Ceasefire Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Egypt for discussions on a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages. The negotiations, involving Israel and Hamas, face significant hurdles over Israel's military positions and terms of prisoner exchanges. The conflict has caused massive casualties and displacement.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Egypt on Tuesday to negotiate a Gaza ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, according to the State Department.

For months, Washington, along with mediators Qatar and Egypt, has been striving to broker a deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The current major sticking points include Israel's insistence on maintaining forces in the Philadelphi corridor to buffer Gaza from Egypt and the details surrounding the exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Blinken aims to discuss a comprehensive agreement that ensures the release of all hostages, alleviates the Palestinian humanitarian crisis, and establishes regional security, the State Department said. This comes following a violent escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sparked by a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 last year, leading to significant casualties and displacement in Gaza.

(With inputs from agencies.)