Barran Press
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned on Thursday, August 29, 2024, of the "extreme danger" posed by the current Israeli military escalation in the occupied West Bank to the region.
Sisi's warning came during a meeting in Cairo with a delegation from several US Congressional committees, led by Senator Joni Ernst, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The American delegation explained that their current visit to the region aims to "support efforts to reach an agreement for the exchange of hostages and detainees, a ceasefire, and de-escalation in the region," according to the statement cited by the Turkish Anadolu Agency.
Sisi emphasized the "seriousness of the escalation and tension in the region due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip."
He warned of the "extreme danger of the current Israeli escalation in the West Bank," stating that it "significantly increases the risks of complicating the regional situation."
The Egyptian president stressed Egypt's "intention to continue its efforts, in coordination with partners, to put an end to this war, which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip."
On Wednesday, the Israeli army, under heavy air cover, launched an operation in the governorates of Tulkarm and Jenin (north) and the Fara'a refugee camp near Tubas (north), before withdrawing from the camp.
The Israeli army killed 17 Palestinians, injured dozens, and arrested 45. It continues its incursion into Tulkarm and Jenin in what is considered the "largest" operation since the "Defensive Shield" operation in 2002, according to Anadolu.
This comes amidst a war waged by the Israeli occupation, with US support, against the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Since early Wednesday, the Israeli army has been conducting incursions into cities in the northern West Bank, the largest in 22 years.
The Israeli war on Gaza has resulted in over 134,000 Palestinian casualties, most of them children and women, and over 10,000 missing, alongside massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children, according to the agency.
For months, Egypt and Qatar, with US participation, have been mediating in indirect and stalled negotiations between the Israeli occupation and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement and exchange prisoners.