Egypt FM, UN chief call for “immediate” Gaza ceasefire

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday collectively urged an "immediate" ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, subsequently allowing humanitarian aid to pour into the Palestinian enclave. Discussing the current developments in the Gaza Strip in a conversation over the phone, the Egyptian top diplomat told the UN chief that the wider Middle East region has witnessed a "dangerous escalation" of violence, while Cairo is doing everything in its power to contain the unrest, the minister underlined. He spoke of Israel's "provocative actions" that risk plunging the region into upheaval, citing "assassinations" and "sovereignty breaches" as cases in point, slamming these incidents as grave violations of international laws and principles. Acknowledging Cairo's efforts towards putting in place a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, the UN chief said that such measures that aim to "alleviate" the "catastrophic" hardship faced by the Palestinians enjoy the full backing of the UN. Egypt and the UN have agreed to continue holding bilateral talks over matters of mutual concern, ahead of the forthcoming UN General Assembly, he added. Source: Kuwait News Agency