Egyptian, U.S. presidents discuss rising tensions in Middle East

CAIRO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden held a phone talk on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East region, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.
The two leaders reviewed the Egyptian-U.S.-Qatari joint efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and affirmed their determination to continue these efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and restore peace and security, said the statement.
They also addressed current concerns regarding the expansion of the Gaza conflict, it said.
Sisi emphasized Egypt’s vision of the severe repercussions of the Gaza war and its negative impact on regional stability, noting that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is fundamental to restoring regional calm and stability, according to the statement.
The two presidents agreed to work toward implementing the two-state solution as the primary guarantor for stability and security for all the peoples of the region, it added.
Since the outbreak of a conflict between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel in October last year, Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been mediating to end the prolonged crisis in Gaza.
However, the recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran has dealt a blow to the ceasefire talks as Iran, Hamas and other members of the resistance axis threatened to retaliate against Israel over Haniyeh’s killing. ■