Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that the latest developments between Israelis and Palestinians reaffirmed the need for direct talks between the two sides with Washington's involvement.
Blinken visited Cairo for several hours on Wednesday as part of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up a ceasefire that ended the worst fighting in years between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Washington and Cairo agreed to strengthen their coordination in consolidating the ceasefire and launching the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian presidency said in its statement.