Egyptian President: The time has come to end ongoing war in Gaza

CAIRO: During a meeting today with the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed that the time has come to end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, heed the voice of reason and wisdom and prioritize peace and diplomatic solutions, stressing the danger of expanding the scope of the conflict regionally which would have negative repercussions. According to Egypt's Presidential Spokesman, Ahmed Fahmy, the meeting underscored the need to advance joint efforts to restore security and stability in the region. The Egyptian president said that stopping the bloodshed should be the key driver for all parties, stressing that a ceasefire in Gaza should be the beginning of a broader international recognition of the Palestinian State and the implementation of the two-state solution, as the basic guarantor of stability in the region. They also reviewed the Egyptian-American-Qatari joint mediation efforts for the Gaza ceasefire and the exchange of detainees. Views were also exch anged on the outcome of the last negotiating meeting held last week in Doha, and on ways to achieve progress in the ongoing negotiations in Cairo. For his part, Blinken briefed the Egyptian President on the outcome of his recent visit to Israel, affirming the United States' commitment to the efforts to calm the situation and reach an agreement, expressing great appreciation for the role of Egypt and its constructive efforts in this regard. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA