OPEN// Egypt urges swift Gaza ceasefire as death toll tops 56,000
CAIRO, June 28 (MENA) – Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday that Egypt is intensifying efforts to reach a swift ceasefire agreement in Gaza, stressing the urgency of halting the bloodshed among Palestinian civilians.
"We are actively working towards a ceasefire to stop the bloodshed of innocent Palestinians," Abdelatty told a joint press conference in Cairo with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
His remarks came in response to a question from the Middle East News Agency (MENA) regarding US President Donald Trump's recent comments suggesting a potential ceasefire agreement in Gaza could be reached as early as this week.
Abdelatty said the number of Palestinians killed has surpassed 56,000, with women and children accounting for around 70% of the death toll. "Sadly, killing has become senseless – daily atrocities are being committed in full view of the international community, with no meaningful action to stop them," he said.
He called for a more active US role, saying that trilateral efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have recently intensified in hopes of building on momentum generated by the ceasefire in the Iran file, and shifting focus back to Gaza. "Unfortunately, Israeli policies continue to pursue daily killings that are illogical and futile – it has become killing for the sake of killing," he said.
Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's commitment to ending the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, including addressing the use of starvation as a form of collective punishment. He expressed hope that the current diplomatic push would lead to an immediate ceasefire, paving the way for Egypt to host an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza as part of the relevant Arab-Islamic plan.
(MENA)
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