Egypt’s Sisi warns against Lebanon escalation in top US general meeting

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned against further regional escalation on Sunday in a meeting with the United States’ highest-ranking general, as cross-border hostilities between Israel and Lebanon intensified.

Sisi “warned of the dangers of a new front opening in Lebanon and stressed the necessity of preserving Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty”, according to a statement from the president’s office.

His meeting in Egypt with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles “CQ” Brown, the United States’s highest-ranking military officer, came hours after Israel launched air strikes on Lebanon.

Israel said it was pre-empting an attack on its territory from Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, fuelling fears of a wider regional conflagration.

Key mediator Egypt has again urged restraint and de-escalation, while the United States -- Israel’s top arms provider -- said its military was “postured” to support its ally.

The visit comes amid planned talks in Cairo, to be attended by CIA chief William Burns, aimed at a truce in the Gaza Strip that has seemed increasingly unlikely.

Sisi on Sunday called for a “decisive stance from the international community” and a stronger response “to joint Egyptian-American-Qatari efforts” for a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange, which would enable a “path to calm and stability in the region,” his office said.

An official from Netanyahu’s office said a decision would be made late in the day about whether Israeli spy chiefs would attend the talks in Cairo on Sunday.

Hamas has said a delegation would go to Cairo but only to meet with Egyptian officials rather than participate in the discussions. Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was due to speak on the “latest developments” at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), the group said.