An escalation in tensions in the Middle East over the detonation of Hezbollah pagers threatened to overshadow U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's latest regional diplomacy push, as he met senior Egyptian officials on Wednesday hoping to advance efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and improve ties with Cairo.

The Egyptian presidency said on Wednesday that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi affirmed the country’s ‘rejection of attempts to escalate the conflict and expand its scope regionally’

During his visit, Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and other senior officials. According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken’s discussions in Cairo focused on finding a cease-fire proposal acceptable to both Israel and Hamas.