Combined images of (From L to R) Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and US Special Envoy Steve Witko. Al-Ahram
During the call, Witkoff praised Egypt’s crucial and strategic role in fostering regional stability, recognizing its collaboration with Qatar in mediating efforts to reinforce the ceasefire, according to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The phone call comes hours after the AP, citing an Egyptian official, reported that Egypt has proposed a new ceasefire plan for Gaza.
According to the AP, the Egyptian proposal stipulates that Hamas release five captives, including an American-Israeli, in exchange for the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, a temporary halt to hostilities, and freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
A Hamas official stated the group had “responded positively” to the offer.
Last week, Cairo condemned Israel's recent deadly airstrikes on the Gaza Strip after Tel Aviv unilaterally ended the ceasefire with Hamas, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US and in effect since 19 January.
During their call, Abdelatty and Witkoff reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing cooperation to strengthen security, peace, and stability in the Middle East, with a shared vision of a conflict-free region.
They also reiterated the US administration’s goal of ending more than seven decades of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the region.
Egyptian-American relations
Moreover, Abdelatty briefed the US envoy on Egypt’s comprehensive modernization and development efforts, highlighting the significant progress made in recent years.
He also emphasized Egypt’s strong economic indicators, which have been recognized by international institutions, particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Monday’s phone call was part of the continued discussions between both sides, underscoring the strategic nature of Egyptian-American relations, the foreign affairs ministry stated.
Egypt behind Gaza
Egypt's most recent proposal comes amid vicious Israeli airstrikes that pounded Gaza last Tuesday, killing 730 Palestinians—including 61 in just the past 24 hours—according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
This brought up the Palestinian death toll to over 50,082 Palestinians and 113,408 injured since the start of Israel's genocidal war on the strip.
In tandem, Israel has blocked all aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip since 2 March— effectively driving the 2.4 million population to the abyss of famine and starvation again.
In response to the renewed escalation, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty condemned the Israeli aggression as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and warned of its serious implications for regional stability.
He emphasized that Israel’s actions are reigniting tensions and obstructing de-escalation efforts aimed at restoring calm.
On 15 March, Tel Aviv unilaterally ended the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States and largely in effect since 19 January, resuming its genocidal war on the strip.
The Israeli side claimed that they wanted Hamas to release all living and dead captives immediately instead of their release throughout the second phase of the ceasefire deal as agreed upon on 17 January.
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