U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken met with Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and enhance bilateral relations between the two nations.

Blinken’s visit to Cairo comes amid rising regional tensions and concerns over the potential escalation of the conflict.
His trip follows threats from Hezbollah to retaliate against Israel after accusing the Israeli military of detonating explosives in Lebanon on Tuesday, resulting in at least nine deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries. Israel has yet to comment on the incident.
State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller stated that it was too soon to determine whether the Lebanon situation would affect ceasefire talks in Gaza but emphasized the U.S. commitment to diplomacy in reducing tensions.

During his visit, Blinken is also expected to meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty and other key officials.