Egyptian, Iranian FMs discuss regional situation amid Gaza war

CAIRO, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) — Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday exchanged views on the deteriorating regional situation in light of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
During a phone conversation, the two ministers also discussed the “repeated Israeli violations” of international law and international humanitarian law, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s aspiration to broker a Gaza ceasefire agreement and a hostage-prisoner exchange deal between the warring parties, hoping that the mediation efforts would deescalate the situation to avoid slipping into a regional cycle of violence and escalation, according to the statement.
The two ministers also agreed to continue consultations to follow up on the course of bilateral relations and regional developments.
The Gaza ceasefire talks reportedly resumed in Cairo earlier this week and continue over the weekend.
On Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the arrival of the heads of the Israeli Security Agency and the Mossad intelligence service in Cairo to participate in the negotiations for a hostage release deal.
On Saturday, Hamas announced the arrival of its delegation in Egypt in the evening to “listen to” the results of the negotiations.
Last Friday, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, mediators of the ceasefire talks, announced the conclusion of two days of discussion in Doha, where a new Gaza ceasefire proposal was presented.
The mediators characterized the discussions as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. However, Hamas, which did not participate directly in the Doha negotiations, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal and expressed skepticism about the negotiations’ outcome. ■