Abdelatty, Blinken warn Lebanon escalation can hinder Gaza ceasefire talks

CAIRO – 18 September 2024: Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have warned against the recent escalation in Lebanon, highlighting its potential to impede the Hamas-Israel negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza.

In a joint press conference in Egypt on Wednesday, Blinken noted that the United States is currently in the process of gathering information concerning the fatal pager explosions in Lebanon the previous day.

At least nine individuals lost their lives and around 2,800 others sustained injuries due to an Israeli operation that detonated hundreds of pager devices across Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon.

Lebanon denounced the incident as a "criminal Israeli aggression" and Hezbollah vowed retaliation, asserting that Israel will face "its fair punishment."

 

Blinken expressed concerns over the impact of these incidents on the progress towards a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, stating, “We’ve seen an event that makes the process more difficult, might derail it,” alluding to the recent attacks in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Abdelatty cautioned that these recent events could potentially escalate beyond disrupting the ongoing ceasefire discussions, potentially igniting a full-fledged conflict in the region.

“There is a possibility that a mistake occurs here or there, which could lead to a full-fledged war,” Abdelatty said, emphasizing the importance of avoiding unilateral actions, escalations, and assassinations.

Israel’s political will questioned

During the conference, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s commitment, alongside the US and Qatar, to earnestly pursue efforts aimed at halting the violence against the Palestinian people by securing a ceasefire in Gaza and putting an end to Israeli aggression.

Abdelatty attributed the delay in reaching a comprehensive agreement to end hostilities and release captives in Gaza to a “lack of political will on the part of a specific party,” accusing this party of fabricating excuses to hinder the process.

 

On the other hand, Abdelatty praised Hamas for demonstrating unwavering commitment to the agreements reached on 27 May and the subsequent amendments outlined on 2 July during their ongoing engagements with Egypt.

While Abdelatty acknowledged Hamas as a “national Palestinian faction,” Blinken asserted that the group cannot continue to seize the detainees and the entire population in Gaza, according to him.

He argued that a ceasefire in Gaza would transform conditions in the region, bringing an end to conflict, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery, and enhancing the lives of individuals in Gaza, whom Hamas purports to represent.

In recent weeks, Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have intensified mediation efforts to bridge the divide between Hamas and Israel.

Despite no breakthrough in negotiations thus far, the trio of nations continues to pressure both parties to accept an agreement based on principles outlined by US President Joe Biden in late May.

 

Israel presence in Rafah

During the press conference, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s rejection of any change in operational rules of the Rafah border crossing, emphasizing the necessity of no military presence on the Palestinian side of the crossing.

He also reiterated Egypt’s opposition to any military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone along the Egyptian-Gazan border.

Since May, Israel has assumed control of the Philadelphi Corridor as well as the Palestinian section of the Rafah crossing, resulting in the blocking of aid delivery through this crucial point.

While Egypt rejects these Israeli moves, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has upheld the Israeli presence in the corridor to prevent alleged arms smuggling, a position that has complicated efforts to reach a ceasefire.