Egypt intensifies mediation efforts to stabilise Gaza ceasefire; Intelligence Chief meets Palestinian leaders in Cairo

Oct 2025 : Egypt’s Intelligence Chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad met with Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh in Cairo to discuss renewed efforts to end the crisis in the Gaza Strip and reinforce the fragile ceasefire that took effect earlier this month, according to media reports.

The meeting, also attended by Palestinian Intelligence Chief Majed Faraj, focused on bolstering the ongoing truce and reaffirming opposition to Israel’s move to annex Palestinian territories. “Both sides agreed to support and continue implementing the ceasefire agreement and reaffirmed their rejection of the Israeli Knesset’s decision to annex any Palestinian land,” reported Al-Qahera News TV on Thursday.

Cairo is simultaneously hosting broader talks among Palestinian factions to reach consensus within the framework of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, the report said. Egypt, it added, is intensifying communication with Washington to stabilise the ceasefire and work towards a just and lasting peace in the region.

Earlier this week, Rashad travelled to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss advancing Trump’s regional peace framework and bilateral ties, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

The ceasefire, which came into effect on October 10 after two years of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, was jointly mediated by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The past few weeks have witnessed heightened US diplomatic engagement in the region. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, followed by Vice-President J.D. Vance, recently visited Israel to discuss the next phase of the ceasefire agreement. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also arrived in Israel to continue these discussions.

According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel’s military operations since October 7, 2023, have killed 68,280 Palestinians and injured 170,375 others. Despite the truce, the authorities reported that at least 89 people have been killed and 317 wounded in Gaza since October 11, underscoring the fragile nature of the ceasefire.

Egypt’s ongoing diplomatic push aims to sustain the ceasefire and discourage any unilateral Israeli actions, particularly the Knesset’s decision to annex occupied Palestinian lands.

Looking ahead, Egypt is preparing to host an international conference on Gaza reconstruction in the second half of November, which is expected to bring together regional and global stakeholders to support stability in Gaza and advance the broader peace process.