On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt to discuss a revised proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza with partners in the region.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We continue to engage with our partners in the region, most specifically with Egypt and Qatar, about what that proposal will contain, and making sure or trying to see that it's a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement.”
Although authorities have indicated that the revised proposal will be submitted soon, the United States has not yet specified a particular timeline for its release.
With an emphasis on achieving a truce between Israel and Hamas and the release of captives, the proposal seeks to solve the fundamental problems causing the current deadlock in negotiations with Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
Blinken and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will co-chair the opening session of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue in Cairo.
Blinken’s agenda in Egypt includes meetings with Egyptian leaders to discuss efforts to secure a Gaza cease-fire, ensure the release of all hostages, alleviate Palestinian suffering, and promote regional security.
Notably, Blinken's visit does not include talks with Israeli leaders, marking his 10th trip to the Middle East since the conflict began.
Earlier on Monday, Blinken met with Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader and former prime minister, who stressed the need for a hostage deal and an end to the Gaza war.
Lapid emphasized, “Israel as a nation will not heal unless we will bring [the remaining hostages] back home. This is essential to our existence.”
At the U.N. Security Council, Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, gave a dire briefing on the humanitarian crisis.
Kaag declared, “Time is slipping away as a man-made humanitarian crisis has turned Gaza into the abyss,” calling for an immediate cease-fire, the unconditional release of hostages, and continuous humanitarian aid access.
Relief efforts are hindered by hostilities, lawlessness, and delays by Israeli authorities, according to Kaag.
Data from the U.N. Office of Humanitarian Affairs shows a decrease in aid trucks entering Gaza, dropping from 169 trucks daily in April to 62 daily in early September.
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon defended the country’s actions, stating, “We have gone above and beyond our obligations, aiming to improve the well-being of a civilian population embedded within the enemy.”
In recent fighting, Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people in Gaza early Monday, including attacks on a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp that resulted in at least 10 deaths.
The Israeli military also targeted 20 Hezbollah launchers and military infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon in response to suspected aerial threats.
Tensions are high along the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that the current situation is unsustainable.
Netanyahu asserted, “The existing situation will not continue. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.”
On Sunday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched drones and missiles towards Israel, which landed in an open area in central Israel.
Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar congratulated the Houthis on their attacks, asserting that Israel’s plans to destroy Hamas had failed.
Sinwar claimed, “I assure you that the resistance is fine. We have prepared ourselves to fight a long battle of attrition.”
Gerald Feierstein, retired ambassador and director of the Arabian Peninsula program at the Middle East Institute, noted the broader implications of the conflict.
Feierstein remarked, “The big issue is that clearly the Houthis’ capability to undertake these strikes is a result of their cooperation with Iran,” suggesting that Israel might eventually need to confront Iran directly.
He added, “These are the concerns keeping everyone on edge, as it raises the potential for a broader regional conflict beyond Gaza.”
The conflict, triggered by Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths and around 1,200 Israeli casualties, with ongoing international concerns about the broader regional impact.
