High-level U.S. officials met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on October 9th, 2025, as an Israeli government meeting to approve a ceasefire agreement was delayed by one hour, as of 3:08 PM UTC. The U.S. delegation included Witkoff and Kushner, with Hassan Rashad also participating on the Egyptian side, according to images shared on Telegram. This activity occurred as the ceasefire, which reportedly took effect at 11:05 AM UTC following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a hostage-release deal phase, awaited Israeli cabinet approval. Previous reports indicated the Israeli government meeting was originally scheduled for this evening, with tanks previously deployed on the Al-Rashid Coastal Road. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the IDF to respond with significant force against any Hamas threats to Israeli soldiers. Hamas representatives denied reports of a direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Egypt. Images circulated on Telegram showed President A-Sisi with Witkoff and Kushner. Documentation from Egypt had previously shown celebrations for the ceasefire. Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire are anticipated to begin one day after hostages are released. Egypt has communicated to U.S. diplomats its refusal to permit a permanent Israeli presence along the Gaza-Egypt border, while Israel maintains its stance on positions within the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent arms smuggling. The International Court of Justice is slated to issue an advisory opinion concerning Israel's obligations on October 22nd, 2025.
