Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has warned of the severe risks associated with the expansion of conflicts in the region, urging the international community to take serious steps to avoid an unprecedented regional war.
President Sisi’s remarks came during his meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, on the sidelines of the Egyptian-European Investment Conference held in Cairo.
The official spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency stated that the meeting addressed ways to tackle the increasing regional challenges, particularly the developments in Gaza and their impact on regional security and stability. President Sisi emphasized the need for international efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire.
He also stressed the urgent and intensive delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the Palestinian people.
President Sisi reiterated Egypt’s warning about the high risk of conflict expansion and called on the international community to take swift and serious actions to prevent the region from descending into an unprecedented new circle of conflict. Both sides agreed that reaching a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions remains the best way to ensure sustainable stability in the region.
Earlier on Saturday, the news site Axios reported, citing three informed sources, that the United States has proposed a new draft on parts of the proposed ceasefire agreement and prisoner release between Israel and Hamas in an effort to finalize the deal.
According to the report, the new draft was developed in cooperation with negotiation mediators, Qatar and Egypt, focusing on one of the agreement’s clauses related to negotiations between Israel and Hamas during the implementation of the first phase of the deal, with the aim of setting specific terms for the second phase, which includes achieving “sustainable calm” in Gaza.
The sources indicated that Hamas wants to discuss only the issue of prisoner exchange during the negotiations, while Israel plans to raise the issue of disarmament in Gaza. One source familiar with the negotiations mentioned that “the United States is doing its utmost to find a formula that allows for a deal to be struck.” Another source confirmed that if Hamas agrees to the new draft proposed by the United States, it “would allow for a deal to be made.”
