United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on Monday to discuss Egyptian proposals to end the deadly conflict in Gaza, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
More than 400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since July 8 as Israel presses its biggest offensive in the coastal strip in five years.
Talks between Ban, Sisi and other senior officials will “focus on the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the Egyptian initiative for a ceasefire,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
Egypt, which has been a mediator in previous Israel-Hamas conflicts, had proposed a halt to the fighting but Hamas rejected the initiative saying it had not been consulted. Israel initially accepted Cairo’s plan.
Hamas has laid out a set of conditions, including the lifting of Israel’s eight-year blockade on Gaza, the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and the release of prisoners Israel re-arrested in recent weeks.
Hamas also wants its Turkish and Qatari allies to be involved in any truce negotiations.
After Hamas rejected the Cairo plan, Israel intensified its assault on Gaza and launched a ground offensive to stamp out militant rocket attacks.
Ban’s visit to Egypt is part of a regional tour to express “solidarity” with Israelis and Palestinians, his office said.
The UN chief plans to act “in coordination with regional and international actors, to end the violence and find a way forward,” the statement said. In an “effort to encourage a durable ceasefire,” Ban will travel to Doha, then proceed to Kuwait City, Cairo, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman, it added.
According to reports, Hamas says it has received an invitation to Cairo for ceasefire talks.
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