Egypt and Russia called on Israel to stop attacking the Gaza Strip and put an end to the bloodshed on Thursday amid fears of further escalation, after the Israeli government announced its rejection to all de-escalation proposals. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov urged, in a phone call earlier today, a complete ceasefire in order to save lives and clear the way for political efforts, after days of clashes on the heels of East Jerusalem's scuffles. Shoukry and Lavrov noted that the current situation "confirms that political action is indispensable and an irreplaceable matter," a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. The pair stressed that "It is important that military confrontation stops, and that the international community reacts seriously to propose [a solution] to move forward towards real and just peace." The statement added that both ministers agreed to coordinate with each other and to intensify contacts with the various concerned parties to end the current crisis. Shoukry's call with Lavrov comes a day after he contacted Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, where he stressed the importance of bringing Israeli aggressions on Palestinian lands to a halt. Shoukry impressed on Ashkenazi the need to spare the region's peoples further escalations via avoiding resorting to military approaches. Two Egyptian security delegations arrived in Tel Aviv and the Gaza Strip to promote de-escalation amid the ongoing clashes, sources told Sky News Arabia. At least 83 Palestinians, including 17 children, were killed, while others were wounded by a barrage of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Monday, further overwhelming the Palestinian hospitals already clobbered by the coronavirus pandemic. Killing seven Israelis, and sending thousands running for shelters, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a host of rockets towards Tel Aviv, a step that was taken in retaliation to Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa and Palestinians in East Jerusalem last week. The ongoing scuffles between Israeli police troops and stone-throwing Palestinians erupted on Friday after Israeli police launched a crackdown on Palestinians while observing the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli troops confronted the Palestinians using rubber bullets, water-cannon mounted armoured vehicles, and stun grenades, leaving scores of them wounded. The recent crackdowns are fueled by Israel's years-long plans to evict Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah district in East Jerusalem, captured and occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel has rejected a UN proposal for an "immediate" ceasefire, an informed Palestinian source told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. The UN Security Council is set to hold a third emergency meeting on Friday after the worsening hostilities between Israel and Palestinians.
