Blinken to visit Cairo amid plans for international force in Gaza

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is set to visit Cairo on Wednesday, to discuss post-war plans for the Gaza Strip, including the establishment of an international force to oversee the administration of the Gaza Strip.

Blinken will arrive in Egypt after visiting Israel.

According to The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the discussions will also focus on who will control and oversee the Philadelphi corridor, also known as the Salah al-Din corridor, which separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on keeping troops there permanently, stalling indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, which demands a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

During his tour of the region, Blinken is set to discuss Washington’s view of what the ‘day after’ in Gaza will look like.

Egypt has been a key player in mediating between Israel and Hamas, with Blinken’s visit seen as an important step in working towards greater understanding between Cairo and the US.

Al Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Ayman Salama, a member of Egypt’s Council for Foreign Affairs, believes that a multinational force could be the solution to the crisis in Gaza and disagreements about the Philadelphi corridor.

Speaking to Al Araby Al-Jadeed, he said that given the "fundamental change taking place in the Gaza Strip, the multinational force could play a vital future role in the corridor".

He added that this force has been playing a crucial role in monitoring the borders between Egypt and Israel in the Sinai Peninsula since 1982…the force could be amended with the approval of three countries- Egypt, Israel and the US, and can be assigned new tasks in the Salah al-Din corridor".

Salama pointed out that drones and thermal image cameras could be used for monitoring purposes in the  corridor to detect unauthorised activity and to identify potential threats.

"There are international peacekeeping forces affiliated with the UN now that use drones and cameras in peacekeeping operations. Ground sensors, such as seismic sensors and acoustic sensors, can also be installed to detect tunnels and unauthorised crossings, he continued.

Blinken’s visit to Egypt marks his 11th trip to the region since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.

Shin Bet chief goes to Cairo

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar visited Cairo on Sunday again to discuss attempts to revive negotiations leading to the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas, following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza last week.

Israeli media reported that Bar met with Egypt’s newly appointed intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, after his predecessor Abbas Kamel was abruptly reassigned last week to serve as a special adviser to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Bar previously met with Kamel in Cairo on 14 October, before Sinwar was killed, however, reports following the meeting stated it did not lead to any progress.

However, Israeli Channel12 said that Israel indicated to the US in recent days that it was ready to make concessions in some areas, that were previously not considered up for debate.

The report did not specify or provide further details on what these concessions may be.

According to the Times of Israel, an Israeli official said on Sunday that Netanyahu was looking for an opportunity to end the war with a captive deal, following immense pressure from family members of captives still held in Gaza.

The official reportedly said that Israel was planning to use Sinwar’s body, which was transferred to a secret location inside Israel after it was autopsied, as "another bargaining chip" in the negotiations.

While Bar went to Egypt, Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant met with senior security officials in Israel to discuss captives and how they can be released ahead of a security cabinet meeting.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 42,603 Palestinians since October 2023 and wounded at least 99,795 others in the same time frame. The war has utterly devastated the Gaza Strip and plunged it into a deep humanitarian crisis.