Egypt's El-Sisi Urges All Parties to Reach Comprehensive Gaza Truce, Warns Against Israeli Military Operation in Rafah
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed optimism about the progress in peace talks aimed at finalizing a truce in Israel's conflict with Gaza.
El-Sisi urged all parties to work towards an agreement that ends the human suffering of Palestinians and facilitates the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Hamas accepted an Egypt-Qatar mediated ceasefire proposal on Monday, offering a glimmer of hope for a pause in the seven-month-old war that has devastated Gaza.
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups, which began on Oct. 7, has resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the displacement of approximately 80 percent of the 2.3 million population in the Gaza Strip.
The conflict started when Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel, resulting in Israeli strikes on Gaza that have caused widespread destruction to homes, hospitals, mosques, and schools.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 34,500 people, and Egypt has warned of potential humanitarian dangers if Israel conducts military operations in the Rafah region, which could affect over 1 million Palestinians living there.
The text urges Israel to show restraint during ceasefire negotiations and avoid further escalation, particularly in the besieged city of Rafah in Gaza.
Egypt is actively engaging with all parties to prevent the situation from worsening.
In a phone call, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed the Rafah situation with his UAE counterpart, expressing concern over potential Israeli military operations in the area and the potential dangers of such escalation.
Rafah is the last relatively safe area in Gaza, housing over a million Palestinians.
Ministers urged for a truce agreement to free hostages and detainees, securing a permanent ceasefire.
They pledged to engage in further negotiations to prevent the conflict from escalating in the region.