'Blair drafted Egypt's ceasefire initiative'

Tony Blair played a pivotal role in drafting the so-called Egyptian Ceasefire Initiative in a bid to hinder a Qatari truce initiative, Arabi 21reported.

According to informed sources quoted by the London-based Arabi 21, Qatar has been reaching out to different parties in the conflict in order to broker a ceasefire that would fulfil some conditions put forward by the resistance in Gaza.

The United States is aware of the Qatari efforts and did not attempt to prevent them, sources said, adding that “most parties, including the resistance and the US, were caught by surprise when the Egyptian initiative was announced.”

The Egyptian initiative is based on ideas which Blair discussed with Israelis and then suggested to the Egyptians, who then endorsed his proposal and introduced it as an Egyptian one.

Blair has persuaded Egyptian officials that putting forward this proposal would contribute to the reinstatement of Egypt as an influential regional player, sources said.

Blair works for an Emirati consultancy firm which advises the recently inaugurated President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi to overcome the political and economic crises the country has been going through in the aftermath of the military coup he led last year.