In a meeting in Cairo on Monday, President El-Sisi reiterated to FM Fidan that the way to defuse escalating tensions in the Middle East lies in combined international efforts to enforce a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and create an opportunity for political and diplomatic solutions, according to a presidential statement.
He pointed out that Egypt has repeatedly warned of the dangers of further escalation, which threatens regional and international peace and security.
El-Sisi added that regional developments must not overshadow the efforts to deliver aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza who are suffering from inhumane living and health conditions.
During the meeting, the two sides condemned ongoing Israeli escalatory policies in the region, according to the statement.
They also urged a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution to achieve lasting justice, security, and stability in the region.
Egypt, along with the US and Qatar, has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in the 10-month-old Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed and injured 120,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, damaged most of the infrastructure, and displaced majority of the population.
In tandem, Egypt has been leading efforts to deliver aid to 2.4 million civilians in Gaza who are facing near-starvation conditions due to a deadly Israeli blockade on the strip.
In recent days, tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, who have traded attacks across the Lebanon-Israel border since 7 October, rose to new levels after Israel assassinated the group's top military commander Fouad Shukur in a strike in south Beirut on Wednesday.
Hezbollah has vowed retaliation against Tel Aviv "deep into Israeli territory."
Israel's assignation of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday evening, a day after the strike in Beirut, exacerbated tensions between the two countries to new levels with the Iranian regime vowing to retaliate against Israel in a major way.
This prompted the US and other Tel Aviv allies to mobilize to defend Israel.
Moreover, various governments have called on their nationals to evacuate Lebanon, and many airlines have cancelled flights to and from Lebanese and Israeli airports.
Meanwhile, the Houthi militias continued targetting all Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting navigation and commerce in the vital international waters.
Egypt-Turkey relations
During the meeting, President El-Sisi praised the outcomes of Erdogan's visit to Egypt last February, which came after a 10-year rupture between Cairo and Ankara, as a positive step forward to strengthen bilateral relationships.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to convening the inaugural meeting of the high-level strategic council, viewing it as a pivotal step in advancing bilateral cooperation, according to the statement.
This council aims to foster mutual respect and common interests, reflecting the historical ties between the two nations, and enhance coordination in pursuit of regional security and stability, it added.
Trade volume between the two countries reached $6.6 billion in 2023, and both nations have worked on normalizing ties after a decade-long rupture.
In a joint conference with Erdogan in February, President El-Sisi said "the two countries can turn a new leaf" in their relationship to strengthen cooperation on all levels.
The Egyptian president's visit has been anticipated since then.
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