Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that his country is taking an active part in efforts to reach a deal that will lead to a ceasefire in Gaza. In a puzzling statement, he also claimed that, "Egypt has never closed the Rafah crossing on its side."
While in Israel they continue to wait with cautious optimism for news of progress in negotiations for a deal, the Egyptian leader announced earlier today (Wednesday) that he believes a, "ceasefire will be reached in the Gaza Strip within a few days" and expects the deal to, "provide respite for the residents of the Strip."
Since the beginning of the war, Egypt has opened the Rafah crossing on only a few occasions, reinforcing it with huge concrete walls, missile fences, and tanks, and even defining northwest Sinai adjacent to the Gaza Strip as a "closed military zone" to prevent Palestinian refugees from entering the country.