A high-level Egyptian delegation made a visit to Ramallah city in the central West Bank amid Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, highlighting Egypt's efforts to bring about a ceasefire, Al-Arabiyah reported on Wednesday citing sources as saying. The delegation met with prominent Palestinian officials and conveyed a message from the Egyptian leadership underscoring the country's efforts to affect an Israel-Gaza ceasefire, the sources said. The delegation affirmed Cairo's readiness to support Palestine in various fields, according to the sources. It discussed with officials the reconstruction process as well as efforts to facilitate the transfer of inured Palestinians through the Rafah border crossing. This comes a day after Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the allocation of $500 million as part of an Egyptian initiative for the reconstruction of the strip. As per the presidential directives issued during the trilateral summit with France and Jordan in Paris, specialised Egyptian companies will be involved in the reconstruction process. Egypt on Monday also announced it has allocated 11 hospitals nationwide to receive Palestinians injured due to the Israeli bombing of Gaza and sent 65 tons of medical aid to Gaza. Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 200 Palestinians, including many women and children in the last eight days. The attacks destroyed tens of buildings, leaving hundreds of Palestinians homeless. Last week, an Egyptian delegation was sent to Tel Aviv to mediate an immediate ceasefire. However, the mediation efforts failed due to Israeli intransigence. El-Sisi reiterated on Sunday the need to halt all acts of "violence and killing" in the Gaza Strip amid escalating Israeli-Palestinian fighting, saying "calm must return very urgently". El-Sisi, who in a visit to Paris, told France 24 that "we are exerting efforts and hope always exists that all [parties involved will] move to end this conflict."
