JERUSALEM: A visit to Egypt by Washington’s top envoy to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has been postponed, a US official told AFP on Sunday.
Earlier, a US embassy spokesperson had said that Huckabee would be visiting Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials, making what media reports said would have been a rare trip by a sitting US envoy.
“The trip has been postponed,” the official said, without providing further details.
Media reports said the talks had been expected to focus on the Gaza war, which has strained relations between Israel and Cairo.
Egypt, along with the United States and Qatar, has been mediating between Israel and Hamas in efforts to end the war.
Cairo has criticized Israel’s ongoing air and ground assault in Gaza City, where the United Nations estimated a million people resided before the offensive began.
Since the war broke out in October 2023, Egypt has repeatedly warned that the fighting risks driving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians across its border into the Sinai Peninsula.
Israeli media have also reported Israeli concerns over an Egyptian military buildup in Sinai, though Cairo insists its forces are stationed there solely to defend its borders.
Huckabee was appointed ambassador to Israel by Trump shortly after his re-election in November.
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new plan to end the Gaza war in talks with Arab and Muslim leaders earlier this week.
US envoy to Israel’s rare trip to Egypt postponed: US official
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US envoy to Israel’s rare trip to Egypt postponed: US official
- Earlier, a US embassy spokesperson had said that Huckabee would be visiting Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials
- “The trip has been postponed,” the official said, without providing further details
Jordan defends UN’s Palestine aid agency, calls for greater international support for its work
- Members of parliament meet UN Relief and Works Agency’s director of affairs in Jordan, Olaf Becker, to discuss the work it does assisting Palestinian refugees
- They condemn what they describe as the smear campaigns and Israeli legislation that have targeted the agency
AMMAN: Members of Jordan’s parliament on Thursday highlighted the vital role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and called for increased international support to sustain the services it provides.
Representatives from the parliament’s foreign affairs and Palestine committees met the agency’s director of affairs in Jordan, Olaf Becker, and the director general of the Jordanian Department of Palestinian Affairs, Rafiq Khirfan, to discuss the work it does assisting Palestinian refugees.
The chairs of the committees, Haitham Ziadin and Suleiman Saud, praised Jordan for its efforts under King Abdullah to defend Palestinian rights, halt Israeli military operations in Gaza, and advocate for a just and comprehensive resolution to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the Jordan News Agency reported.
They called for greater international funding for UNRWA, and condemned what they described as smear campaigns and Israeli legislation that have targeted the agency.
The MPs welcomed the recent decision by the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee to renew the agency’s mandate until June 2029, and emphasized the need to protect essential services amid escalating humanitarian challenges. They stressed Jordan’s commitment to supporting the agency, and warned that political attacks against it could threaten regional stability.
Becker reaffirmed King Abdullah’s backing for the agency, and outlined its education, health and aid programs. He also noted the challenges it faces, including funding shortfalls and disinformation campaigns.
Khirfan said Jordan continues to defend the agency and its mandate through diplomatic efforts, led by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, to secure political and financial support.
