Egypt’s Sisi Calls for Gaza Halt, Peace at G7 Amid Trump Meeting

US President Donald Trump met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The US president had warm words to say about the Egyptian leader, illustrating how the White House is now spotlighting Egypt's importance in the region.Egypt is a historic regional power and center of influence, and it has played a key role in Palestinian reconciliation talks over the years and also in policy regarding Gaza.The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram noted that “Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met US President Donald Trump on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.“Television footage showed the two leaders meeting shortly before bilateral discussions amid heightened diplomatic activity in the Middle East following the recently announced US-Iran agreement and ongoing efforts to advance a Gaza ceasefire.”The report added that this “marks the latest engagement between Sisi and Trump and comes as Egypt continues to play a central role in regional mediation efforts involving Gaza and broader Middle East stability.”Cairo has played a large role in Trump's plan for Gaza, HamasIt comes as Cairo is expected to play a role in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza and has been working on discussions about the next steps for the US and UN-backed ceasefire plan in Gaza. Current discussions focus on disarming Hamas, and Cairo has played a key role, often behind the scenes, in these discussions.Al-Ahram also noted that during the Trump-Sisi meeting, the Egyptian leader “welcomed the recently reached US-Iran agreement, congratulating President Donald Trump on the deal and expressing hope that it would help end war and escalation in the Middle East while demonstrating the US president's ability to resolve conflicts around the world.”Egypt is also working on other regional issues. Trump praised Egypt's role in the region and discussed how he has had good ties with Sisi over the last decade.It should be noted that when Trump came to the Middle East in the spring of 2017, soon after winning his first term as president, he met with Sisi and the Saudi king in Saudi Arabia as part of an American summit with Arab and Muslim leaders. It was from that meeting that much warmth developed between the Trump administration and Egypt.However, in Trump's second term, the White House has been focused on other issues, particularly Israel, Iran, and other policies. Egypt has not received the spotlight.According to Ahram, “the two leaders also discussed the Palestinian issue, with al-Sisi stressing that resolving the conflict remains essential to achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East. Al-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to continued coordination with the United States to advance implementation of President Trump's peace plan for Gaza and help restore calm and stability in the region.”Egypt also wants US support in a dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), “one of Egypt's most sensitive national security concerns.”Egypt is a major player – not only regarding this issue, but also in Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Horn of Africa. This is an important area because Israel recently recognized Somaliland.In addition, Egypt has played a role in Libya. It appears the US may be aiding reconciliation talks in Libya that could bring together the eastern government, led by Khalifa Haftar, and the western government, which is recognized internationally and has been backed by Turkey.Meanwhile, the Egyptian Independent newspaper conducted an interview with Sameh Shoukry, former Egyptian foreign affairs minister and current chairman of the House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee. Shoukry discussed Israel and the Palestinians.“We should not exaggerate the issue of 'Greater Israel' as part of it is domestic political rhetoric within Israel. Arab states possess the capabilities and resources necessary to deter such ideas, but we must confront them so that no one believes there is an opportunity to implement them,” he said.The imam of Al-Aqsa mosque, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, was also featured in the Egyptian Independent. In addition, a third article noted that Sisi continues to push for a just “settlement of the Palestinian issue.” Clearly, Egyptian media is pushing this focus on the Palestinians at the moment.Trump is clear that Sisi is a close friend of the US.“Our relationship has been very strong for a long time... we'll discuss many things, including trade. We do a lot of business with Egypt,” Trump said during the meeting in France. Trump also answered questions from the press about the Iran deal during the meeting with Sisi.