Blinken says Gaza truce best way to ensure regional stability

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday in Cairo that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza would be the best way to stop violence from spreading in the Middle East.

This marks Blinken's 10th trip to the region since the start of the war that was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.

His visit aimed to salvage stalled negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to end the conflict.

No other regional stops, including Israel, were on his itinerary.

"We discussed the importance of getting this deal across the finish line, something we'll continue to pursue with our Qatari counterparts," Blinken told journalists in a joint press conference alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

"We all know that a ceasefire is the best chance to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to address risks to regional stability," he added.

Following the meeting with Blinken, Sisi's office said the pair discussed "ways to intensify joint efforts between Egypt, the US and Qatar to make progress on ceasefire negotiations and the exchange of hostages and detainees".

Sisi also called for "decisive intervention to remove obstacles to the entry of huge amounts of aid" to Gaza and "ending Israeli violations in the West Bank", it said.

Violence has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the war broke out in Gaza, with Israel conducting large-scale raids in recent weeks.

Blinken arrived in Cairo hours after hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing 12 people and wounding more than 2,750 others.

Blinken denied reports the United States prior any knowledge or involvement in the attack which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel, the key US ally. Israel has yet to comment on the blasts.