A number of Egyptian journalists and writers released a statement on Saturday expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and calling on all national factions to provide all possible assistance to the besieged enclave.

In the statement – titled "In Defence of the Freedom of Gaza and Ours" – the undersigned praised all the Palestinian resistant factions and "their abilities to combat Zionist weapons provided by the west and the U.S.".

The statement called for "a united Arab stand that will obtain the rights of Gaza from the war crimes it has suffered and defend its right to end the siege and release prisoners".

"The Palestinian cause remains the main criteria to judge the policies of any given regime in the region," read the statement, requesting that "the new Egypt will play a more affirmative role in supporting the [Palestinian] cause".

The undersigned include journalists, writers and intellectuals Bahaa Taher, Abdallah El-Senawy, Mohamed Faieq, Gala Aref, Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudy, Gamal Fahmy Mohamed El-Makhazengy, Yasser Rizq, Hussein Abdel-Ghany, Emad El-Din Hussein, Mohamed Abdel-Hady Allam, Yehia El-Qallash and George Isaac as well as head of the press syndicate Diaa Rashwan and Al-Ahram's chairman Ahmed Sayed El-Naggar.

Israel's air and ground assault on the Palestinian territory has killed more than 1,450 Palestinians. Sixty-three Israeli soldiers and three civilians have also died in the fighting.

On Friday a planned three-day truce broke down within hours of its implementation, as clashes renewed.