Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on 18 August in an effort to restart cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Both leaders reiterated their rejection of any renewed Israeli occupation of Gaza or attempts to remove Palestinians from the enclave, and said the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital remains the only path to lasting stability. Earlier in the day, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa inspected the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, which has been largely closed since Israeli forces seized the Gazan gate in May. Abdelatty said roughly 5,000 Egyptian trucks loaded with food, medicine and fuel are waiting for permission to enter and that Cairo is “ready to flood Gaza with aid” once Israeli restrictions are lifted. He also disclosed plans to train 5,000 Palestinian security personnel and select an additional 5,000 from inside Gaza to help the Palestinian Authority retake administrative control of the territory. Abdelatty confirmed that Egypt and Qatar are preparing to invite U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to the region after the two mediators amended his draft truce framework. The revised proposal addresses sticking points such as mechanisms for unhindered aid delivery and the future positioning of Israeli forces inside Gaza, and, according to an Egyptian official, could open a pathway toward a comprehensive peace accord. While diplomacy intensifies, limited relief continues to reach the strip. Israel’s liaison office COGAT said 320 trucks entered Gaza on 17 August through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings, and 161 aid pallets were airdropped in coordination with the UAE, Jordan, Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Indonesia. Separately, 23 UAE trucks crossed the Rafah gate toward Kerem Abu Salem, and Indonesia reported a separate airdrop of about 800 tonnes of supplies. Aid agencies warn the deliveries remain far below the level needed to avert famine conditions reported by Gaza’s health authorities.