The United States appeared Saturday to be stepping up its diplomacy surrounding the war in Gaza, reportedly intending to send its envoy to Israel on a trip to mediator Egypt, as Palestinian officials in the Strip pleaded for Washington to clinch a ceasefire.
In a letter obtained by The Times of Israel, Gaza City Mayor Yahya al-Sarraj, together with Gazan business and academic leaders, appealed to US President Donald Trump to work toward a truce in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The signatories wrote in the letter to Trump: “You have the power to succeed where others failed, to stop the bloodshed, protect innocent lives and set the stage for a just and lasting peace.”
Al-Sarraj is affiliated with Hamas, as are all Gaza mayors. It was unclear if all the signatories were currently located in the Strip, though al-Sarraj himself has been present there in recent months.
Israel is currently conducting a major offensive to conquer Gaza City.
Trump’s administration recently formulated a 21-point plan to end the war and release the hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, alongside progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
The president is due to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Saturday that Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, is due to travel to Egypt soon to speak with senior officials there about the Gaza war,
Three US and Middle Eastern officials have confirmed the visit, The Times reported.
It would be the first visit to Egypt of an ambassador to Israel in decades, the outlet said.
One of the officials Huckabee was reportedly expected to meet is Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who accused Israel of “genocide” and other crimes in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. Israel adamantly rejects the accusation.
Egypt, which borders Gaza, has acted as a mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, but relations between Cairo and Jerusalem have become strained during the war.
These tensions reached a height recently, when Israel alleged Egypt was accumulating forces in the region along the countries’ border in violation of the peace treaty between the countries, and asked the United States to pressure Cairo over its military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula.
These frictions were set to be discussed during Huckabee’s visit, The Times cited the sources as saying.
