Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met CIA Director William Burns in Cairo on Thursday to address cease-fire mediation efforts in the Gaza Strip.
According to a presidential statement, their talks centered on advancing negotiations for a cease-fire and a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
The leaders emphasized the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, where conditions are deteriorating rapidly.
While mediation led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar has not yet succeeded in reaching a cease-fire, Washington hopes Israel’s recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could catalyze progress.
Hamas, however, maintains that conflict will cease only if Israel ends its military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in over 43,100 deaths since last October.
Israel’s blockade on Gaza has displaced much of the population and caused severe shortages of essential resources.