Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
During a phone call, Abdelatty and Al-Thani also addressed efforts exerted by both nations to prevent the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Egypt, along with the US and Qatar, has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal during the more-than-one-year Israeli war on Gaza.
On Sunday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi unveiled an Egyptian initiative for a two-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which four Israeli captives would be exchanged for several Palestinian prisoners.
The proposal is a preliminary step for a more lengthy ceasefire, El-Sisi said at a press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Cairo.
The Egyptian initiative comes as Doha hosted a new round of talks, aiming to reach an agreement to end the Gaza war.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed and injured over 140,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, damaged most of Gaza’s infrastructure, and displaced the majority of the population.
In Tuesday's call, the Egyptian foreign minister and his Qatari counterpart also addressed the latest developments in Lebanon.
Abdelatty and Al-Thani emphasized the critical need for a swift ceasefire and the continued provision of urgent humanitarian and relief aid to the Lebanese people, as well as the importance of empowering Lebanese national institutions to fulfil their responsibilities.
Since October 2023, the Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon has resulted in nearly 2,600 deaths and around 13,000 injuries.
Intense Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and Dahiya in southern Beirut has forced approximately 1.3 million people to flee their homes.
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