Egypt and Qatar remain actively involved in ceasefire negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf told CNN’s Becky Anderson (watch, runtime: 11:03) during an interview that focused on the latest in Gaza and Egypt’s role in securing a ceasefire. “There is no other alternative except the ceasefire agreement in order to provide the needed calm and peace in Gaza,” he said.

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Egypt continues to engage constructively with the US administration, most recently through Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff. “The discussions were positive and constructive,” he said, adding that ceasefire progress depends on international pressure on Israel, which he accused of pursuing an “isolationist” and “obstructionist” policy.

Israel’s ceasefire violations risk dangerous escalation: Khallaf condemned Israel’s recent military escalation as “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” which he warned could be a “serious development” with dangerous “ripple effects.” He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,” adding that Israel is violating its legal obligations by blocking aid. “It is extremely condemnable that the state of Israel is in violation of international law and its responsibility as an occupying power to provide the necessary humanitarian access to the people in Gaza,” he said. Khallaf pointed out Egypt has delivered 5k trucks of aid since the ceasefire agreement started and continues to push for de-escalation.

On Gaza’s future post-war, Khallaf outlined Egypt’s three-phase reconstruction plan — now endorsed by all 22 Arab League members — which includes clearing rubble, building housing and infrastructure, and re-establishing governance under the Palestinian Authority. He said the plan is “feasible … operationally plausible [and] incrementally morphing into an internationally endorsed plan,” despite initial hesitations from the White House. “If there are any suggestions or comments which our American partners would like to present, obviously, we will consider them and we will look at them with an open mind,” Khallaf added.

“Palestinians have the right to exercise their right for self-determination. They will need a country of their own,” Khallaf said, reiterating that normalization with Israel across the Arab world hinges on the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

AND- Witkoff thinks there is still room for ceasefire talks: The US special envoy believes “there have been signs” that the ongoing negotiations could lead to resolution of the war in Gaza, but pointed out key differences between Israel and Hamas’ goals that are stalling the negotiations, he said in an interview famous American political pundit Tucker CarIson (watch, runtime: 1:32:58).

“We presented a proposal at the Arab summit … that was a bridge to get to a peace deal to lead to the demilitarization of Hamas and a discussion about an enduring truce,” Witkoff said, describing Hamas's reaction to it as “completely inappropriate.” Witkoff suggested that the US may be able to use Israel’s recent military pressure to get Hamas to be a whole lot more reasonable because they have a lot of sway there.

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