US Envoy To Visit Egypt and Israel For Hostage Talks

US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk will travel to the region this week for continued talks on securing the release of hostages held by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, a senior Biden administration official said.

McGurk, who participated in earlier negotiations, will visit Egypt on Wednesday and Israel on Thursday, the official said.

Report says the meetings are the latest in ongoing talks between the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar that seek to broker a pause in the war and the release of more than 100 hostages held by Hamas following its deadly October 7 attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, the US is also proposing a draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposing a major ground offensive by its ally Israel in Rafah, after signaling a US veto on a rival resolution that it said could jeopardize talks.

The United States does “not plan to rush” to a vote in order to allow time for negotiations, a senior US administration official told Reuters on Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere