US Secretary of State in Cairo to shore up Gaza truce

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on bolstering the Gaza cease-fire.

According to the details, Blinken was scheduled to hold talks with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry, and other officials.

He has vowed to “rally international support” to rebuild the destruction in hard-hit Gaza.

Cairo has sent delegations to both Tel Aviv and Gaza to watch over the implementation of the ceasefire and has also been coordinating international relief and reconstruction aid for the Palestinian territory, which has been under Israeli blockade for nearly 15 years.

Earlier Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after Israel’s 11-day Gaza bombardment.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington will seek to provide $75m in development and economic assistance to Palestinians.

In addition to this, the US also pledged $5.5m in “immediate disaster assistance” for Gaza and about $32m for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Blinken said, ‘The United States will notify Congress of our intention to provide $75m in additional development and economic assistance to the Palestinians in 2021.’