Shoukry and Blinken agreed to use all means at their disposal to prevent the displacement of Palestinians outside of the Gaza Strip CAIRO: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry recently held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and maritime security concerns in the southern Red Sea and Bab El-Mandeb, the strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Ahmed Abu Zeid, a spokesman for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Shoukry received a phone call on Tuesday evening from Blinken who spoke of America’s keenness to work closely with Egypt on regional and global issues during the new term in office of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Shoukry and Blinken agreed to use all means at their disposal to prevent the displacement of Palestinians outside of the Gaza Strip and their territories, and the Egyptian minister highlighted the importance of working to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. He also urged the US to support a draft resolution proposed by Arab and Islamic groups in the UN Security Council aimed at removing obstacles to aid getting into Palestine. The talks, Abu Zeid added, also covered security challenges in the southern Red Sea region and the Bab El-Mandeb and their impact on maritime transport. Shoukry pointed out the need to provide safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Red Sea, a shipping lane vital to global trade. At the end of their discussions, Shoukry and Blinken pledged to stay in regular communication.