ANKARA

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Wednesday for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Sisi arrived in Abu Dhabi early Wednesday for talks with the Emirati president on bilateral relations and regional developments.

The Egyptian presidency said the two leaders discussed the critical importance of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of hostages and detainees.

They also affirmed the imperative of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza “in adequate quantities” and without impediments, to save Gaza’s people from the dire humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.

Since March 2, Israel has kept all border crossings shut, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.

Sisi and Sheikh Mohammed also reiterated “the urgency to continue efforts to realize the two-state solution as the only path towards enduring peace and comprehensive stability in the Middle East.”

The talks also focused on the bilateral relations and explored avenues to strengthen ties in a manner that serves the interests and aspirations of the two countries, particularly in the economic, trade, and investment spheres.

After their talks, the Egyptian president left the Gulf country, the Emirati state news agency WAM said.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.