The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken on the phone with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, the White House announced late on Saturday evening.
The conversation revolved around, among other things, "the ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that ensures the release of hostages, increases the influx of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and puts an end to the war", according to a statement from Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State.
Before Christmas, new hope emerged in the Middle East for a ceasefire when Israel and Hamas held indirect negotiations in Doha together with Qatar, Egypt, and the USA.
Initially, both sides reported progress, but then Hamas and Israel accused each other of setting "new conditions" and creating "new obstacles" for an agreement.
