During a phone call, both sides addressed the overall situation in the Middle East and the danger of expanding the ongoing conflict.

They also highlighted the Egyptian, regional, and international efforts that aim to reach a ceasefire, an exchange of detainees, and the delivery of humanitarian aid into the strip.

According to the Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy, the Egyptian president and the UN secretary-general underscored the pivotal role played by the United Nations and its affiliated organizations in providing support and relief to the people of the Gaza Strip.

From his side, El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the role played by the UN secretary-general in pushing towards calming the situation and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid into the besieged strip.

Meanwhile, Guterres expressed his gratitude to Egypt for its essential role in working towards de-escalation and providing humanitarian support to the people of Gaza.

He emphasised his keenness to continue coordination and consultation with El-Sisi to restore regional security and stability.

On Sunday, Guterres pleaded for donor countries to "guarantee the continuity" of the UNRWA after several halted funding over Israeli allegations that staff members took part in Hamas' Al-Aqsa Flood operation in early October.

At least 10 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, and Scotland, have paused aid to UNRWA, exacerbating its already limited resources.

During a press conference with his Saudi counterpart, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry stated on Sunday that recent allegations against the UNRWA were "highly charged in its connotations"

The same language has not been employed in discussing the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of whom were children and women, since the war broke out on 7 October, Shoukry noted. 

The Israeli allegations against the UNRWA, which serves millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and beyond, follow the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Friday that Israel must prevent possible acts of genocide in the conflict and allow more aid into the Gaza Strip.