News - Middle East: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt says his country will step up efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, during talks with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Sisi hosted Blinken in Cairo on Wednesday.

The two “exchanged views on ways to intensify joint efforts between Egypt, the US and Qatar to make progress on ceasefire negotiations and the exchange of hostages and detainees,” the president’s office said in a statement.

The president’s office said Sisi called for "decisive intervention to remove obstacles to the entry of huge amounts of aid" to Gaza and "ending Israeli violations in the West Bank."

On his 10th trip to West Asia since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, Secretary Blinken admitted at a press conference that a ceasefire in Gaza is the best way to contain violence across the region.

"We discussed the importance of getting this deal across the finish line, something we'll continue to pursue with our Qatari counterparts.”

"We all know that a ceasefire is the best chance to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to address risks to regional stability,” he said.

No other regional stops, including Israel, were on Blinken's itinerary this time.