CAIRO/ISTANBUL

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Spain’s King Felipe VI on Wednesday called for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

The two sides held talks in Cairo during the Spanish monarch’s first-ever visit to Egypt, which began Tuesday and will last four days.

According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, discussions between Sisi and Felipe addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Spain and regional and international developments.

Both sides stressed “the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and prisoners, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip, halting regional escalation, and working to preserve peace that has prevailed in the region since the 1970s.”

They also affirmed their “categorical rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” warning that such a move would liquidate the Palestinian cause, and threaten regional security and “carry grave consequences, including unprecedented waves of displacement and irregular migration toward Europe.”

The two sides also rejected “Israel’s unlawful practices in the West Bank, including settlement expansion and threats to annex Palestinian land,” calling these actions “flagrant violations of international law.”

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and forced the entire population into famine.

On Tuesday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory confirmed that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.