Egypt, Britain urge diplomatic path toward peace after Israel-Iran ceasefire

Cairo, June 27 (IANS) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone call to discuss the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran, urging a diplomatic path toward a peaceful resolution of the crisis, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The two leaders, on Thursday, emphasised the need to "commit to a return to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution of the crisis and to refrain from resorting to military force," the statement said.

Sisi and Starmer welcomed the de-escalation that followed the ceasefire, which came into effect earlier this week after nearly two weeks of military hostilities between Israel and Iran, Xinhua news agency reported.

The conflict erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and strategic facilities. Iran responded overnight with missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory. The truce, which followed surprise US strikes on Iran, helped avert further regional escalation.

Sisi stressed the importance of building on the current calm to achieve "an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip" and to ensure the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave's population.

He reaffirmed Egypt's longstanding position on ending the suffering of the Palestinian people and called on the international community to work toward "a just and comprehensive solution" based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

For his part, Starmer praised Egypt's role in promoting regional stability and reiterated Britain's "keenness to coordinate and consult with Egypt on various regional issues of common interest," according to the statement.

The two leaders also reaffirmed the strength of bilateral ties between Cairo and London and expressed their commitment to advancing cooperation in the economic and investment sectors.

--IANS

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