Egypt's foreign minister urged Israel to accept a US-backed ceasefire plan for Gaza during a phone call Wednesday with Washington's Middle East envoy, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty told envoy Steve Witkoff that Hamas had already agreed to the proposal and stressed the need for Israel to implement it in order to end the nearly two-year war, protect hostages and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. He said the plan's proposed 60-day truce should be used to negotiate a permanent settlement to the conflict. Minister Abdel-Atty also reiterated Egypt's opposition to military solutions to regional crises, including Iran's nuclear programme, and called for renewed negotiations to reduce tensions. The minister added that Egypt would continue working closely with the United States to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, echoing President Donald Trump's stated vision of ending decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
