According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the meeting focused on addressing the humanitarian and security aspects of the military escalation in Gaza.

The two British shadow ministers are in Cairo as part of a Middle East tour focusing on the situation in Gaza that started on Monday with a visit to Jordan then Qatar and Egypt.

Shoukry emphasized the necessity of intensifying coordinated international efforts to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to preserve the lives of Palestinian civilians.

These efforts should also ensure the safe and sustainable delivery of humanitarian assistance, in compliance with international law and humanitarian principles.

Shoukry highlighted the severe humanitarian and security consequences of Israeli ground operations in Gaza, continuous shelling, blockades, forced displacement, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians.

He pointed out that the war has killed more than 8,500 Palestinians since the crisis began.

He stressed the importance of accurately characterizing this humanitarian catastrophe without any misleading justifications under the labels of self-defence or counterterrorism.

He also called for international efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict to other parts of the region.

For his part, the shadow foreign secretary expressed the UK's appreciation for Egypt's important role in de-escalating the situation and delivering humanitarian and relief aid to the people of Gaza.

He also expressed a commitment to working towards a comprehensive approach to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.