Egypt urges intensified efforts to achieve cease-fire in Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged intensified efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza as he spoke to his US counterpart Antony Blinken over phone on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty received a phone call from Blinken to review ongoing developments in the Middle East.

Abdelatty stressed "the importance to intensify the international and regional efforts to achieve an immediate cease-fire along with the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza in a sustainable manner."

Israel has killed more than 44,000 people in Gaza since a cross-border incursion by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The military campaign and blockade has led to food shortages and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

The top diplomats also discussed the recent developments in Syria, with Abdelatty stressing Egypt's position regarding the necessity to respect the Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity, along with protecting the civilians from ongoing fighting. In a surprise offensive launched late last month, anti-regime groups in Syria have taken over Aleppo and are advancing in other regions.

They also deliberated on the situation in Sudan, and Abdelatty urged to bring humanitarian aid into the war-torn country. Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and the RSF paramilitary group since April 2023.