US commits to providing Egypt with aid
US commits to providing Egypt with aid: The Trump administration is keen to ensure that the US aid to Egypt continue to flow, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during the latter’s visit to Washington DC. This includes military, economic and development aid, Pompeo said, according to a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zaid. His pledge comes a few weeks after the US unfroze USD 195 mn in military aid it had suspended last year, ostensibly on human rights grounds.
It would appear that much of the conversation centered around regional crises, particularly Egypt’s effort to secure a peace agreement on Gaza, efforts to stabilize Libya and the Syrian civil war.
Speaking of the Gaza talks, the situation appears to be swinging from reproachment to conflict between Hamas and Israel, all in the same day. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo yesterday and is set to hold talks with Egyptian authorities, according to Al Masry Al Youm. An unnamed senior member of Hamas and top Israeli lawmaker both told Reuters that since peace talks have reached advanced stages, an end to the confrontations and threats is likely to take place. Later in the day, however, Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel prompting a response from the Israeli military on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Separately, Egypt will host Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks next week, according to Ahram Gate.