“Ceasefire in Gaza could only be achieved through international pressure on Israel,” Shoukry told his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares on the sidelines of the EU-Egypt Association Council meeting in Brussels.

Shoukry and Albares tackled the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of them women and children, and wounded thousands of others in the past three months.

They emphasized the urgency of an immediate ceasefire and coordinated efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2720, adopted in December and calling for a sustained passage of humanitarian aid to Gaza, added the statement.

Albares lauded Egypt's efforts to resolve the crisis in Gaza, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and prevent the expansion of the conflict.

He underscored Egypt's regional role as a key partner for peace and stability in the Middle East, noted the statement.

Earlier on Monday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell reiterated UN condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "unacceptable" rejection of calls for a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza.

The EU's top diplomat said he had presented ministers from the EU bloc with a "comprehensive approach" aimed at finding a lasting peace.

The Israeli war triggered a chain of escalations that are threatening regional stability, from the Red Sea to Lebanon.