The Gaza war entered its ninth night of coverage, as the nation’s talking heads focused on President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo. The meeting between El Sisi and the National Security Council also got a lot of coverage, as well as on-the-ground developments in Gaza throughout the night.

Israel’s reaction goes beyond the issue of self defense and amounts to collective punishment, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during his visit to Cairo yesterday. El Sisi’s comments received widespread coverage on last night’s talk shows. Presidential spokesman Ahmed Fahmy appeared on El Hekaya to tell Amr Adib that El Sisi was keen for his comments during the meeting to be “clear and in numbers” so that the whole world could hear it. Adib drew his audience’s attention to what he said is the US administration’s confusion in managing the ongoing conflict in Gaza (watch, runtime: 4:49 | 3:04).

Lamees El Hadidi spoke to Al Sharq Al Awsat’s Washington bureau chief Heba El Qudsito find out what happens now after Blinken’s visit to the Middle East (watch, runtime: 3:04 | 14:49).

The US is concerned about hostages and regional interference: The US and Egypt share a common perspective on Gaza, US State Department regional spokesman (and former Cairo hand) Sam Werberg said during an appearance on Ala Masouleety. Werberg added that the US is looking to make it possible for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and is trying to help US hostages and other Americans in Gaza. He also expressed the US administration’s concern that Iran or Hezbollah may interfere in the conflict (watch, runtime: 29:48).

The Gaza Strip is in a “major calamity and disaster,” said UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna, who appeared on Kelma Akhira (watch, runtime: 12:23) and El Hekaya (watch, runtime: 6:06) to discuss the current conditions in Gaza. “There is currently no electricity or internet and people are besieged…I have lived through all the wars, but I have never seen anything like what is happening now,” he said. Rami El Nazer, the executive director of the Egyptian Red Crescent, appeared on Lobna Assal’s Al Hayah Al Youm to talk about the aid piling up while it waits to reach Gaza (watch, runtime: 5:54).

Also on the airwaves last night:

  • Food price controls: Coverage on the government and private sector’s initiative to reduce the prices of basic food commodities continued on Kelma Akhira (watch, runtime: 1:46 | 1:55) and El Hekaya (watch, runtime: 3:01).
  • Election 2023:Talk about December’s presidential election was limited to preparations to facilitate Egyptian expats voting on Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:13).
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