Egypt seeking Gaza ceasefire ahead of ‘destabilizing’ Jerusalem flag march
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

Egypt is determined to broker a ceasefire ahead of next Thursday’s contentious rally of Israeli religious nationalists through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, which Cairo fears could inflame tensions to a point of no return, an Egyptian official familiar with the indirect negotiations between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad tells The Times of Israel.
“This rally already poses a threat to stability, but if the fighting is still ongoing by then, it will be much harder to stop and it is likely that Hamas will ride this wave and join as well,” the official says.
The Egyptian official expresses hope the Biden administration will coax Israel to reroute the march this year, given the already tense situation in Gaza, which started on Tuesday when the IDF launched a series of airstrikes eliminating the top brass of PIJ, which has responded by firing hundreds of rockets at Israel.
A senior Israeli official told the Times of Israel last week that the hardline government was not likely to reroute the march.
“We’re not particularly optimistic, which is why it’s critical that the fighting ends as soon as possible,” the Egyptian official says, adding that Cairo would seek assurances from the sides in order to ensure that it will withhold even if the Flag March does go ahead through the Muslim Quarter.
While there had been cautious optimism that a ceasefire was within reach after an overnight pause in rocket fire from Gaza, the lull was disturbed by a barrage launched from the Strip this morning.