Egyptian president warns of potential slide into ‘full-scale war’ in Middle East

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Thursday of the risk of a full-scale regional war in the Middle East during his participation in the BRICS summit held in the Russian city of Kazan.

The Israeli aggression on Gaza and Lebanon "is a stark testament to the abandonment of and disregard for principles, the prevalence of double standards and the lack of accountability and justice… in the face of violations of international covenants and humanitarian law," Sisi told the summit as cited by a presidential statement.

"These developments demonstrate the imperative need for concerted international efforts to end the outrageous escalation in the region and prevent a slide into a full-scale war," he added.

The Egyptian president hailed the BRICS Plus grouping as "a platform to cultivate closer cooperation and consultations between the BRICS grouping and the Global South."

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel's brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 42,800 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the group since the start of the Gaza war.