Blinken to Travel to Egypt and Discuss Gaza Ceasefire

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Tuesday to discuss a Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages with Egyptian officials, the State Department said. Washington and mediators Qatar and Egypt have for months sought to reach a deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to halt the war and release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The two biggest obstacles now are Israel's demand to keep its forces in the Philadelphi corridor to maintain a buffer between Gaza and Egypt, and the specifics...