Egypt’s Sisi, Russian spy chief discuss Gaza war, regional tensions

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held talks in Cairo on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Intelligence Chief Sergei Naryshkin to discuss a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating regional tensions.

The discussions focused on regional developments and ways to achieve stability in the Middle East, the presidency said in a statement.

The meeting also reviewed ''Egypt's efforts to calm the situation in the region through its engagement with all parties and the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the unfettered flow of sufficient humanitarian aid,'' the statement said.

Israel has waged a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last October that killed nearly 1,200.

More than 33,800 people have since been killed and 76,600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The statement renewed Egypt's call for reaching a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue, and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital "to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East.''

The Egyptian-Russian talks come amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel following an Iranian drone and missile attack on Saturday.

Iran said the weekend's attack was in response to the April 1 strike on its consulate in Syria, in which at least 13 people were killed, including seven military advisers.

Israel has vowed to respond to the Iranian attack.