Shoukry + Séjourné: French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné voiced his rejection of the forced displacement of Gazans into Egypt during a joint presser with (watch, runtime: 18:27) Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo yesterday. Séjourné also called for a humanitarian ceasefire and for the relaunch of diplomatic talks over a two-state solution. Shoukry called for coordinated efforts to end the war and for a clear timetable for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

SPEAKING OF GAZA- Israel strikes Rafah: Israel yesterday launched strikes on Gaza’s southern city of Rafah — the last refuge for over a mn displaced Palestinians that has been dubbed a “ pressure cooker of despair ” by the UN. The strikes came a day after the EU urged Israel not to press ahead with an assault on the city bordering Egypt. (The National | France24 | Associated Press)

MEANWHILE, IN THE RED SEA-

#1- Red Sea disruptions are regionalizing the global oil market: Countries are looking to closer neighbors for oil shipments as Houthi attacks on vessels crossing the Red Sea drive up freight rates, Bloomberg reports.

#2- US promises more attacks: The US plans to wage “additional strikes” on Iran-backed groups in the region, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said on NBC News last night. The US launched retaliatory attacks across Yemen, Iraq and Syria over the weekend in response to the killing of three US servicemen in Jordan last week.

#3- Not all in Washington are happy about US protection of foreign-flagged vessels: While the US Navy currently protects all foreign-flagged ships passing along the Red Sea, some voices within Congress are calling for US ships to take priority, challenging the unilateral decision made by President Biden to offer equal protection to ships, CNBC reported. The problem with these demands? 97.2% of US trade is carried on vessels of a foreign identity.

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