Both ministers stressed the need to intensify coordination to calm the region, as stated by the Egyptian foreign ministry.
During the call, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's strong rejection of any violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, highlighting the critical importance for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.
Abdelatty also emphasized the necessity of intensifying the delivery of urgent humanitarian and relief aid to the Lebanese people, given the displacement of over one million citizens due to the Israel aggressions.
He highlighted the importance of supporting and empowering Lebanese institutions, particularly the Lebanese army, in fulfilling their responsibilities, and stressed that all parties must implement Security Council Resolution 1701.
Resolution 1701, unanimously approved by the UN Security Council on August 11, 2006, called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon following the Israeli aggression against the country.
It stipulated that the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) would be the only armed forces permitted south of the Litani River, which is approximately 30 km (about 20 miles) from Lebanon's southern border.
Egypt has consistently reaffirmed its support for Lebanon in the face of Israeli aggression.
Since mid-September, Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes on villages, towns, and cities across Lebanon, including Dahiyeh in Beirut, resulting in over 1,400 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries.
This bombing campaign followed nearly a year of cross-border fire with Hezbollah.
Last week, Israel also attempted a ground invasion into southern Lebanon but faced significant resistance from Hezbollah fighters.
Year of Gaza war
During the call with Blinken, Egypt's top diplomat also urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities in achieving an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, following a year of Israeli attacks on Palestinian Strip and the resulting escalation and widespread unrest.
Abdelatty called for unconditional humanitarian access to Gaza to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation there.
He also advocated addressing the root causes of the current conflict, assuring that establishing an independent Palestinian state along the lines of 4 June1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital is the viable solution.
Since the onset of the Israeli war on the strip on 7 October 2023, the death toll in Gaza has reached at least 41,909, according to the Palestinian health ministry on Monday.
Furthermore, the Egyptian foreign minister also noted that the current escalation in the region necessitates concerted efforts for a swift intervention to contain tensions.
He explained that this requires dedicated efforts for de-escalation and urged all parties to exercise restraint to avoid a regional war with devastating consequences for all involved.
Egypt water security
The call also focused on Egypt's water security, with Abdelatty reiterating Cairo's firm commitment to achieving a legally binding agreement on the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
He asserted that international law must be applied in this matter.
“Egypt's water security is an existential issue that the country will not compromise on,” Abdelatty emphasized to his US counterpart.
For his part, Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to supporting Egypt's water security.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been embroiled in a dispute over the filling and operation of the GERD for over a decade, with Addis Ababa refusing to sign any legally binding agreement that would protect Egypt's water rights and needs.
Ethiopia has completed the fifth filling of the GERD's 74 billion cubic meter (bcm) reservoir, as well as all previous fillings, without coordination with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan.
Egypt faces a water deficit of 55 percent of its needs, amounting to 120 bcm. According to the 1929 Nile Water Agreement, Egypt is entitled to approximately 55.5 bcm of Nile water, while Sudan receives 18.5 bcm.
Currently, Egypt’s annual water share amounts to just 500 cubic meters per person, while the UN defines water scarcity as 1,000 cubic meters per person annually.
Egypt relies on the River Nile for over 90 percent of its water supply, as noted by Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam.
Last week, Abdelatty said Egypt is not a “helpless nation” and has a clear vision and mechanisms to deal with any negative repercussions of the Ethiopian dam on the country.
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