US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to Egypt on Wednesday but his visit to the region will notably omit a stop in Israel, amid rising doubts that a ceasefire and hostage deal can be agreed to before President Joe Biden leaves office.
This is the first time since the October 7 attacks that Blinken has visited the Middle East without visiting Israel. The top US diplomat typically uses the visits to Israel to press the Israeli government on the critical issues surrounding the war, including the hostage and ceasefire deal. However, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frequently rebuffed the administration in the hours and days following those meetings.
At the time of Blinken’s last visit in August US officials were projecting public optimism that they could be close to bringing the deal to a close. Now, that public optimism around a quick resolution has largely vanished.
The State Department said in their announcement that Blinken “will meet with Egyptian officials to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and helps establish broader regional security.” He will also “co-chair the opening of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty,” the statement said, noting that the “strategic dialogue aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship and deepen economic development, as well as increase people-to-people ties through culture and education.”
Egypt is a critical player in the ongoing efforts to reach that bridging proposal, but Blinken’s trip is unlikely to yield a major breakthrough on the agreement that comes down to the political will of two men: Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. There is skepticism that either wants to reach a deal.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield notably said on Monday that an agreement is ultimately dependent on political will.
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