Egypt applied its diplomatic muscle on Sunday to ongoing tensions between Israel and militants based in the Gaza Strip in an effort to make sure that a peace deal it recently negotiated continues to hold.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri called for building on the ceasefire by avoiding “all practices that stoke up tensions and escalate confrontations, especially in the Palestinian lands,” a spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
“He also stressed the importance of strengthening [the current] calm and providing the favourable conditions to launch serious and constructive negotiations between both sides,” the official added, referring to revival of long-stalled peacemaking between Israel and Palestinians.
Shoukri and Ashkenazi also discussed facilitating the reconstruction of Gaza and agreed on continuing contacts between the two countries and the Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank, the spokesperson said in a statement.
Clashes in Jerusalem earlier this month regarding access to holy sites prompted a wider outbreak of violence that saw militants based in the Gaza Strip launching missiles into Israel, which responded with airstrikes of its own. The were fatalities on both sides, though Gaza Strip bore the brunt of the death toll and the material destruction.
A ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, has been holding between Israel and Gaza’s factions since May 21.
Shoukri made his comments in Cairo after meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi. Ashkenazi arrived in Egypt earlier on Sunday, the first formal visit by an Israeli foreign minister to the Arab country in nearly 13 years.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the meeting was part of "Egypt's relentless and continued efforts to revive peacemaking and building on the ceasefire in Gaza."
Upon arrival in Egypt, Ashkenazi tweeted that he would discuss a permanent ceasefire with Hamas and the rebuilding of Gaza.
"We will discuss establishing a permanent ceasefire with Hamas, a mechanism for providing humanitarian aid & the reconstruction of Gaza with a pivotal role played by the [international] community," Ashkenazi said on Twitter.
He added that Israel is "fully committed" to the return of its soldiers and citizens being held by Hamas.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi has sent Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel for talks to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, state television reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met him on Sunday and discussed strengthening cooperation between Israel and Egypt, Netanyahu's media advisor said.
An Egyptian security team was also dispatched to Israel and the Palestinian areas to discuss stabilizing the ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza.
Al-Sissi called for the continuation of efforts and meetings to solve the problem of captives and missing people between Israel and Hamas.
Egypt was the first Arab country to recognize Israel in 1979.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu raised Israel's demand for the prompt return of the soldiers and civilians being held in the Gaza Strip," the advisor added in a statement.
"Also discussed were mechanisms and processes to prevent the strengthening of Hamas and its use of the resources that will be directed to the civilian population in the future."
The Egyptian intelligence chief Sunday also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian media reported. He handed Abbas a message from al-Sissi confirming support for Palestinians, it added.
Egypt borders Gaza and has mediated in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on several occasions.
Source: DPA
