ISTANBUL

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Saturday for the deployment of international forces in the Gaza Strip to guarantee an end to the Israeli war on the enclave.

Speaking during a phone call with Nikos Christodoulides, leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration, Sisi emphasized the need for the Gaza ceasefire agreement to receive international legitimacy through the UN Security Council, a presidency statement said.

He stressed the importance of the deal in halting the war, securing the release of hostages and captives, ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid, and initiating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Egypt has exerted continuous efforts over the past two years, in coordination with Qatar and the US, to end the war and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinians, Sisi said.

He added that Egypt plans to host an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza.

During the phone call, the Egyptian leader invited Christodoulides to attend the signing ceremony of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Cairo has yet to announce the date and details of the ceremony.

The Greek Cypriot leader, for his part, expressed his full support for the agreement, and hailed Egypt’s “vital role and efforts to reach the deal,” the statement said.

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he laid out on Sept. 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives being held there in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

The first phase of the deal came into force at 12 noon local time on Friday (0900 GMT).

A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 67,600 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.