Top US and Egyptian diplomats discuss ‘shared commitment to Palestinian statehood’ in call

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry hold a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, January 30, 2023. (Khaled Desouki/Pool via AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry hold a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, January 30, 2023. (Khaled Desouki/Pool via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken just got off the phone with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the State Department says.

The two “discussed their shared commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” the State Department says, using the same talking point it used in the readout it issued on Blinken’s call yesterday with his Saudi counterpart.

Blinken “also expressed gratitude for Egypt’s essential role in increasing the volume of humanitarian aid and commercial products reaching Palestinians in Gaza, the release of hostages and facilitating the safe cross-border exit of US and other foreign nationals via Rafah,” the US readout says.

“Secretary Blinken and Minister Shoukry discussed the importance of concrete steps to minimize harm to Palestinian civilians in all of Gaza and rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians.”

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