by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- As 2025 draws to a close, Egypt has reaffirmed its position as a key mediator in the Gaza crisis, pairing intensive diplomacy to sustain a fragile ceasefire with a large-scale humanitarian operation that has delivered hundreds of thousands of tons of aid and winter relief supplies to the war-torn enclave.

From hosting negotiations that led to the October ceasefire to facilitating aid flows through Rafah and rejecting forced displacement, Cairo's approach has combined political mediation, security considerations, and sustained relief coordination, analysts said.

ADVANCING GAZA CEASEFIRE TALKS

Egypt's mediation efforts began to bear fruit in October, when indirect negotiations hosted in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh culminated in a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Oct. 10, in coordination with fellow mediators, the United States, Qatar, and Türkiye.

The agreement was subsequently highlighted at an Oct. 13 peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Egyptian political analyst Mokhtar Ghobashy said Egypt's involvement was decisive. "Egypt's role was essential and pivotal in reaching the Gaza ceasefire and hosting the agreement on its soil," he said.

Ghobashy, secretary-general of the Cairo-based El-Faraby Center for Political Studies, stressed that Cairo also "stood firmly against forced displacement plans and rejected any attempt to push Palestinians out of Gaza."

Egypt's diplomacy did not end with the ceasefire announcement. On Wednesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Egypt was pushing for the swift launch of the second phase of a U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan, including forming a "technocratic committee" to administer the enclave as a step toward the Palestinian Authority resuming full administrative control.

Egypt's push came as an Israeli delegation visited Cairo on Dec. 24 for talks that, according to an Egyptian source familiar with the discussions, included negotiations on the return of the body of Ran Gvili, believed to be the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, as well as broader issues such as Hamas disarmament and proposals for an international stabilization force.

Cairo also hosted several intra-Palestinian talks in 2025. On Oct. 23, delegations from Hamas and Fatah met in the Egyptian capital to discuss post-war arrangements in Gaza, amid Egyptian efforts to build Palestinian consensus around the next phase of the plan.

Cairo-based Palestinian political analyst Abdel Mohdy Motawe said Egypt's role in Gaza in 2025 reflected deeper structural factors, noting that Cairo maintains balanced relations with all parties and is widely viewed as a trusted intermediary.

"Egypt combines geographic weight with flexible diplomacy and strong security capabilities, reinforcing its stabilizing role in a turbulent region," he said.

FACILITATING HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT

Egypt played a pivotal role not only in securing the ceasefire but also in facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, turning the flow of aid trucks from Egypt into a large-scale, continuous operation.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in late August that the country has provided more than 70 percent of the total aid delivered to Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023, with over 550,000 tons transported by thousands of trucks.

On July 27, the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) launched a humanitarian aid initiative for Gaza, delivering thousands of tons of food baskets, flour, medical and relief supplies, as well as critically needed petroleum products to the enclave.

In response to recent torrential rains in Gaza, which flooded streets and damaged many shelter tents, the ERC has stepped up winter relief efforts, sending by Dec. 23 more than 1.1 million blankets, over 37,000 mattresses, some 9.7 million pieces of winter clothing, 800 mobile bathrooms, and more than 186,000 tents to the enclave.

Amid Gaza's worsening humanitarian needs caused by winter storms and ongoing insecurity, Egypt is expected to continue pairing diplomatic engagement with relief coordination as mediators work to advance the next phase of the peace plan and lay the foundation for reconstruction in the war-torn territory, analysts said.

"At moments when the region was on the brink of a broader conflict, Egypt's steady and balanced approach played a crucial role in preventing wider escalation," Ghobashy said. ■