Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has called for an international regional summit to discuss the developments and the future of the Palestinian issue, amid ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The president chaired a meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday, where he reviewed the regional situation and stressed the need to stop the escalation and protect civilians. He also expressed his rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians or liquidate their cause at the expense of neighboring countries and affirmed Egypt's support for the two-state solution as the only way to end the conflict. The council decided to continue contacts with international and regional partners, as well as relief organizations, to de-escalate the situation and deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the Rafah crossing, which connects Egypt and Gaza, is officially open on the Egyptian side, but faces difficulties due to aerial bombardment on the Palestinian side. He added that Egypt has not been able to obtain any permission from Israel to send humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza so far. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Cairo on Sunday evening for consultations with Egyptian officials on the developments in the Palestinian territories. Blinken praised Egypt's efforts to broker a ceasefire and restore calm and reiterated the US commitment to Israel's security and the rights of Palestinians. The Gaza Strip has been under heavy Israeli airstrikes since October 7, after Hamas launched rockets into Israel in response to Israeli raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 2,450 Palestinians have been killed and about 9,200 injured in Gaza since then. Israel has reported more than 1,300 deaths and at least 120 captives among its citizens, as well as 286 soldiers killed in action. Minister Shoukry said on Sunday that Egypt is ready to provide all facilities and assistance to foreign citizens who want to leave Gaza, where a deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas has been raging for more than a week. Shoukry said Egypt is cooperating with the US and other countries to facilitate the exit of their nationals from Gaza, after obtaining the necessary permits from the Palestinian authorities. He added that Egypt calls for respecting international humanitarian law and protecting civilians from the escalating violence. Shoukry also stressed the need to find a way out of the current impasse and resume the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, based on ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned that more than two million people in Gaza face a severe water shortage that could threaten their lives. UNRWA's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said water has become a matter of life and death in Gaza, and urged the delivery of fuel to operate water pumps and treatment plants. Lazzarini also said that humanitarian supplies have been blocked from entering Gaza for a week and that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the Israeli bombardment. He said nearly one million people have fled their homes in Gaza in the past week, seeking refuge in safer areas or UNRWA schools.
