Egypt's president urges ‘seizing opportunity’ for Gaza agreement to avoid escalation

CAIRO

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday called for taking advantage of ongoing negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza to reach an agreement that would "save lives and prevent the region from the consequences of further escalation."

During his meeting with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejourne in Cairo, Sisi said "the continuation of the war in Gaza is dragging the region into a dangerous and endless cycle of instability,” according to a press release from the Egyptian presidency.

He stressed the "need for all efforts to converge towards seizing the opportunity presented by the current negotiations and to reach an agreement that would save lives and prevent the region from the consequences of further escalation."

Sisi also highlighted "the international community's responsibility to exert pressure to de-escalate and address the root causes of the conflict by establishing a Palestinian state and implementing the two-state solution."

Sejourne noted that French President Emmanuel Macron had tasked him with conducting a regional tour to contribute to efforts to reduce tension and push for calm.

His tour concluded in Cairo, where he briefed Sisi on the results of France's related diplomatic efforts.

The French foreign minister, who visited Lebanon on Thursday and Israel on Friday, praised Egypt's role in joint mediation with Qatar and the US aimed at reaching a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and facilitating a prisoner exchange.

Sejourne's visit to Egypt follows an announcement by mediators that two days of negotiations in Doha had concluded, during which a new proposal was presented to Hamas and Israel to narrow the gaps between them.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its onslaught in Gaza last October, the vast majority of them women and children.