Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He called on the international community to fulfil its responsibilities in ending the catastrophic humanitarian situation amid continued Israeli aggression. During a phone call on Wednesday with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, Abdel-Aty discussed Egypt's ongoing preparations to host an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, in cooperation with the United Nations and the Palestinian government. Abdel-Aty reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to a just and sustainable resolution to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The two ministers also discussed the upcoming high-level international conference on the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue and implementation of the two-state solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. They agreed on the need for intensified regional and international efforts to uphold a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, ease tensions, and pave the way for a diplomatic path to address concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. Abdel-Aty stressed the pivotal role of the E3 group in supporting negotiations aimed at reducing regional escalation. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
