CAIRO / ISTANBUL

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussed developments related to the Gaza ceasefire and rejected the establishment of “parallel entities” in Sudan.

The discussion took place over the phone, during which Abdelatty reviewed “Egypt’s ongoing efforts to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire agreement and fully implement its provisions,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

He emphasized the need to move to the second phase of the plan, covering political, developmental, and humanitarian aspects, to ensure sustained calm and regional stability.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar under US supervision, went into effect on Oct. 10, following a two-year Israeli war in Gaza.

Israel has tied the start of negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire deal to the handover of all the hostage remains. Hamas said the process requires time due to the massive destruction in Gaza.

The top Egyptian diplomat also highlighted preparations for an international conference in Cairo for Gaza reconstruction, stressing the importance of mobilizing global support to rebuild the territory and alleviate humanitarian suffering.

Egypt is working to implement a five-year reconstruction plan endorsed by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), estimated at $53 billion, while the UN estimates Gaza’s recovery costs at $70 billion.

Israel has killed nearly 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,600 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.

On Sudan, both ministers stressed the importance of preserving Sudanese state institutions and rejecting any parallel entities. Abdelatty called for coordinated regional and international efforts to secure a comprehensive humanitarian truce and open safe corridors for aid delivery to affected areas.

He condemned serious violations committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur, and voiced deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

On Oct. 26, the RSF seized control of El-Fasher and committed massacres of civilians, according to local and international organizations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the country’s geographical partition.

On Thursday, the RSF said that it has agreed to a humanitarian truce in Sudan proposed by the Quad countries – the US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt – though details of the ceasefire’s implementation have not been disclosed, and no immediate reaction came from the Quad or the Sudanese army.

Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.