CIA chief, Egypt’s Sisi discuss 'urgent need' to end Lebanon, Gaza wars
The meeting comes as Egypt, Qatar and the US resume mediation talks to secure a hostage deal and a cease-fire in Gaza.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and CIA director William Burns met Thursday in Cairo to discuss the efforts toward reaching a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal, days after Cairo suggested a new proposal to ease tensions in the besieged enclave.
According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, the talks focused on the “joint efforts to achieve de-escalation in the Gaza Strip, ways to advance negotiations toward a cease-fire and the exchange of captives, and immediate and complete access to humanitarian aid was emphasized as a top priority for Egypt.”
During the meeting, Sisi stressed the importance of the two-state solution “as a pathway to achieving peace and security in the region.”
Egypt’s newly appointed intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, was also in attendance.
