The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is expected to travel to Cairo for discussions with senior Egyptian officials, a representative for the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem announced. This visit comes at a time of increasingly strained relations between Israel and Egypt.
These upcoming talks, slated for the next few days, will center on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Three U.S. and Middle Eastern officials, who requested anonymity to share sensitive details, confirmed the focus of the visit.
This would mark a highly unusual occurrence—likely the first official visit to Egypt in decades by a sitting U.S. ambassador to Israel. The agenda is anticipated to include a meeting with Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, as reported by the three officials. The specific role of Herro Mustafa Garg, the current U.S. ambassador to Egypt appointed during the Biden administration, in these talks remains unclear.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the impending visit.
Ambassador Huckabee’s trip takes place against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Israel and Egypt, largely fueled by the war in Gaza, which shares borders with both nations.
Egypt has openly criticized Israel’s ground assault on Gaza City, where nearly one million Palestinians had sought refuge until recently. There are serious concerns that the intense fighting could force hundreds of thousands of Gazans across the Egyptian border into the Sinai Peninsula.
Reports from Israeli news outlets indicate that Israeli officials have conveyed their concerns to Washington regarding an Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders both Israel and Gaza. Last week, the Egyptian government publicly addressed these reports, stating that its troops were deployed in Sinai to safeguard Egypt’s borders against all threats. Egypt has also refuted Israel’s claim that these troop movements violate the 1979 peace treaty between the two nations.
Officials anticipate that Mr. Huckabee will address these tensions between the two countries, both of which receive substantial U.S. military aid, during his time in Cairo.
Additionally, the talks are expected to encompass a new peace initiative to end the war, which President Trump shared with various Arab and Muslim leaders during the recent United Nations General Assembly, according to two of the officials.
Mr. Trump appointed Mr. Huckabee, a vocal advocate for the state of Israel, as ambassador shortly after his re-election.
Egypt was the first Arab nation to establish diplomatic relations with Israel following the signing of their 1979 peace treaty, which brought an end to decades of hostilities. Since then, ties have gradually strengthened, involving intelligence sharing, significant energy agreements, and direct communication between their leaders.
However, the ongoing Gaza war, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has significantly strained the relationship between the two countries. Egypt has played a pivotal role as a mediator, alongside Qatar and the United States, in attempts to negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier this month, a residential building in Doha, Qatar’s capital, where senior Hamas leaders were residing, was struck by Israel. The attack resulted in the deaths of five individuals affiliated with Hamas and a member of the Qatari internal security forces. Following this incident, the resumption of cease-fire negotiations and Qatar’s continued involvement as a mediator have become uncertain.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt condemned the strike, issuing a warning that Israel’s actions were jeopardizing its diplomatic relationships with Arab states. He emphasized that the strike “places obstacles before any new peace agreements and even strains the existing peace accords with countries in the region.”