CAIRO: The Foreign Ministers of Egypt and the United States of America discussed the successive developments in the Middle East region and efforts to quickly reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and stop the escalation in the region. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati received a phone call from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, within the framework of “ongoing consultations”, according to a statement by the official spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the two Ministers discussed in detail the current efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Strip and the delivery of humanitarian aid in light of the sharp deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Egyptian Foreign Minister stressed Egypt’s categorical rejection and condemnation of the escalating Israeli measures aimed at obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid and preventing UNRWA from playing its role. He stressed the importance of working to empower the Palestinian Autho
rity, and the need to deal with the West Bank and Gaza Strip as an integrated unit of the Palestinian territories in preparation for ending the occupation and establishing the Palestinian state.

The two Ministers reviewed the developments in Lebanon, where they exchanged views on the political and field developments in Lebanon. The Egyptian Foreign Minister stressed the need for concerted international efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, establish a truce, fully implement Security Council Resolution 1701, and provide all forms of humanitarian support in light of the severe humanitarian crisis that Lebanon is going through.

The Egyptian Minister reviewed Cairo’s efforts aimed at ending the presidential vacancy crisis in Lebanon, where he stressed the importance of electing a president for Lebanon with Lebanese consensus and without external dictates, and the importance of supporting Lebanese institutions, most notably the Lebanese army. The Egyptian Foreign Minister stressed the need to res
pect Lebanese sovereignty and the unity and integrity of Lebanese territory, and condemned Israel’s incursion into Lebanese territory and Israel’s targeting of UNIFIL forces in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and international law.