U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is preparing for a landmark visit to Cairo, where he is scheduled to meet with high-ranking Egyptian officials. This visit comes at a crucial time, as relations between Israel and Egypt face growing strain.
Sources close to the matter — three U.S. and Middle Eastern officials who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions — indicate that the upcoming talks will primarily center on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The meetings are anticipated to take place within the next few days.
This trip marks a potentially historic occasion, as it would be the first official visit by a sitting U.S. ambassador to Israel to Egypt in many decades. Among the key engagements expected is a meeting with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty.
The exact involvement of Herro Mustafa Garg, the current U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, appointed during the Biden administration, in these discussions remains undefined.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet issued a statement or responded to inquiries regarding the impending visit.
Ambassador Huckabee’s journey to Cairo underscores the heightened tensions currently existing between Israel and Egypt, largely fueled by the conflict in Gaza, a region sharing borders with both countries.
Egypt has openly condemned Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City. This assault has displaced nearly a million Palestinians who were seeking refuge there, raising significant concerns in Egypt that the intense fighting could lead to a massive influx of Gazans across its border into the Sinai Peninsula.
Reports from Israeli media suggest that Israeli officials have voiced worries to Washington regarding an accumulation of Egyptian military forces in the Sinai region. Last week, the Egyptian government publicly refuted these reports, asserting that its deployment in Sinai is purely for defensive purposes, aimed at securing its borders from all threats. Furthermore, Egypt has dismissed Israel’s claims that these troop movements violate the 1979 peace treaty between the two nations.
During his Cairo visit, Ambassador Huckabee is anticipated to address these deepening bilateral tensions. Both Israel and Egypt are significant recipients of U.S. military aid.
Adding another layer of complexity, the discussions are also slated to cover a fresh proposal for ending the war, which President Trump recently presented to Arab and Muslim leaders during the United Nations General Assembly.
Ambassador Huckabee, known for his staunch support of Israel, was appointed to his current role by President Trump shortly after his re-election.
Following the historic 1979 peace treaty that concluded decades of conflict, Egypt became the first Arab nation to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Over the years, these ties have slowly expanded to include intelligence sharing, substantial energy agreements, and consistent direct communication between their respective leaders.
However, the ongoing Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has severely strained this relationship. Egypt, in collaboration with Qatar and the United States, has taken on a crucial mediating role in the cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
A recent Israeli strike on a residential building in Doha, Qatar’s capital, resulted in the deaths of five Hamas-affiliated individuals and a member of Qatar’s internal security forces. This incident has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the continuation of cease-fire talks and Qatar’s future involvement as a mediator.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi strongly condemned the Doha strike, cautioning that such actions jeopardize Israel’s diplomatic relationships with Arab nations. He stated that the strike “places obstacles before any new peace agreements and even strains the existing peace accords with countries in the region.”
Reporting for this article was also contributed by Adam Rasgon from Tel Aviv.