EU's Borrell to visit Egypt, Lebanon but not Israel

The European Union's top diplomat leaves on a multi-day trip to the Middle East on Sunday to campaign for a ceasefire, with stops in Egypt and Lebanon - but not Israel.

Josep Borrell plans to meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi in Cairo on Monday and also visit the Rafah border crossing to the Gaza Strip, according to the EU Foreign Service office in Brussels.

A meeting with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, is "high on the agenda," his office said.

On Tuesday, Borrell plans to meet Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty and take part in a meeting of the Arab League.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Borrell will be in Lebanon where he will meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, and Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun.

He will also meet with Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdallah Bou Habib. A press conference is expected.

Borrell will discuss with his Lebanese counterpart the EU's support for "Lebanon's resilience and stability" and Lebanon's role in the region.

A visit to Israel is not planned, according to the statement.

Borrell has repeatedly criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, while also condemning the "horrific terrorist attacks" on October 7, which left around 1,200 people dead in Israel and 250 taken hostage.

However, he told Foreign Policy magazine in May that one horror cannot justify another.

According to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry, nearly 41,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the conflict.

Talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have made no progress for months. According to a report in the Financial Times, the US military is already preparing for a collapse of the negotiations.

The ceasefire is also linked to the hope of avoiding an even greater expansion of the war.