Earlier Saturday, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel in the early hours of Saturday prompting Tel Aviv to declare a state of war.

Shoukry and the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stressed the need for coordinated international positions to urge for de-escalation and exercising the utmost restraint, read a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.

Minister Shoukry called on the international community to encourage the two sides to return to the long-frozen path of negotiations to reach the ultimate goal of a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.

Egypt has repeatedly called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

This, he added, requires cessation of the Israeli storming of Palestinian cities, avoiding recurring provocative actions that inflame feelings.

Shoukry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov also emphasized the need to reach an immediate halt to the escalation. 

Both top diplomats highlighted the role the United Nations Security Council can play in addressing the Palestinian issue comprehensively and safeguarding Palestinian rights -- including the establishment of an independent state.

Also, Shoukry received a call from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during which they probed ways to coordinate regional efforts to defuse the crisis and work to avoid entering into a vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence that would only lead to instability in the region.

Munich Group

In light of the membership of Egypt, Germany and France in the Munich group mechanism for promoting Middle East peace efforts, Shoukry had phones with Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French counterpart Minister Catherine Colonna.

During the two calls, the ministers explored ways to de-escalate tensions in the Palestinian enclave, with Shoukry urging action at the international level to stop the escalation and defuse the current Palestinian-Israeli crisis.

EU Bodies

Minister Shoukry also had a telephone call with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno, whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union Council, to search for ways to stop the current violent escalations.

The Egyptian top diplomat stressed the need to provide a window of opportunity for diplomatic overtures meant to contain the situation and restore calm.

He also called on heavyweight international parties, including the European Union, to assume their responsibilities in this regard.

The Egyptian foreign minister also made another telephone call with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Talks with Arab counterparts

Earlier Saturday, Shoukry discussed the developments with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. 

According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, Shoukry was keen to inform Sheikh Abdullah of the contacts that Egypt is making to de-escalate tensions and contain the crisis.

The two sides spotlighted the seriousness of the current conditions, calling for making all possible efforts to prevent further deterioration.

Shoukry also discussed ways to de-escalate the situation with Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. Both officials expressed concerns over the dangerous escalation.

Shoukry underlined the importance of rallying international and regional efforts to halt this escalation and violence.