CAIRO, (Xinhua) – Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to make joint efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In a phone conversation, "the two presidents agreed to continue making earnest efforts to reach a ceasefire, stressing the imperative need for the international community to assume its responsibilities in this regard," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
Sisi and Putin also called for "concerted international efforts to reach a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution," as well as the establishment and recognition of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.
The Egyptian leader also updated his Russian counterpart on Cairo's ongoing efforts to push for a ceasefire "to prevent further deterioration of the miserable humanitarian situation the people in Gaza are living in."
Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979 and has for many years been a key peace mediator in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct. 7, Egypt has been making mediation efforts along with Qatar and the United States between the two warring parties to secure the release of hostages and de-escalate the situation in the Palestinian enclave.