US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday discussed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the negotiations to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in exchange for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza of at least six weeks, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. The top US diplomat is in Egypt after visiting Saudi Arabia a day earlier, as part of his latest Middle East tour. He also discussed with Sisi the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.