The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is scheduled to visit Cairo for crucial discussions with high-ranking Egyptian officials. This visit comes at a time when relations between Israel and Egypt are becoming increasingly strained.
These upcoming talks will primarily focus on the escalating conflict in Gaza and the growing tensions between the two neighboring nations, as confirmed by U.S. and Middle Eastern sources.
This marks a potentially historic occasion, likely being the first official trip to Egypt by a sitting U.S. ambassador to Israel in decades. A meeting with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, is also anticipated.
The role of the current U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Herro Mustafa Garg, in these sensitive discussions has not yet been clarified.
As of now, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented on the upcoming visit.
Ambassador Huckabee’s trip underscores the deep diplomatic challenges stemming from the Gaza war, which shares borders with both Israel and Egypt.
Egypt has openly criticized Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City, where close to a million Palestinians had sought refuge. There are significant concerns that prolonged fighting could force hundreds of thousands of Gazans into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Recent reports in Israeli media highlighted Washington’s concerns regarding an Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai. However, the Egyptian government publicly clarified last week that its forces in the Sinai are solely for border defense and are not in violation of the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
During his visit, Ambassador Huckabee is expected to address these critical tensions between Egypt and Israel, both of whom are major recipients of U.S. military aid.
Further discussions will reportedly include a new proposal for ending the war, which President Trump presented to Arab and Muslim leaders during the United Nations General Assembly this week.
Mr. Trump appointed Mr. Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israel, as ambassador following his re-election.
Egypt was the first Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel after their historic 1979 peace treaty. Since then, they have built a relationship based on shared intelligence, significant energy agreements, and direct communication between their leaders.
However, the current Gaza war, ignited by a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, has severely tested this relationship. Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has played a key role in mediating cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier this month, an Israeli strike on a residential building in Doha, Qatar, resulted in the deaths of five Hamas-affiliated individuals and a member of Qatar’s internal security forces. This incident has cast doubt on the resumption of cease-fire talks and Qatar’s continued role as a mediator.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt strongly condemned the strike, warning that such actions jeopardize Israel’s diplomatic standing with Arab nations and could undermine existing peace agreements in the region.