Egypt Urges Maintaining Iran-'Israel' Ceasefire, Reaching Gaza Truce

By Al Mayadeen English

Egypt’s FM Badr Abdelatty urges regional de-escalation and an end to the war on Gaza and reveals that Cairo is working on a new ceasefire initiative.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasized the urgent need to maintain the ceasefire between Iran and the Israeli occupation to help de-escalate tensions in the volatile region.

In a phone conversation with US President's Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Abdelatty called on both parties to adhere strictly to the truce and avoid further military engagement.

On June 13, "Israel" launched a surprise aggression on Iran, triggering an Iranian response involving a significant barrage of ballistic missiles, including hypersonic variants, targeting strategic nuclear, military, and industrial sites across the occupied Palestinian territories.

Abdelatty also underscored the necessity of reinstating a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He stressed the importance of releasing prisoners and allowing medical and humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave, currently facing a dire humanitarian catastrophe.

Egypt, Qatar, US propose 60-day truce deal

In a separate statement, Abdelatty announced that Egypt is actively working on a new Gaza ceasefire initiative.

The proposed deal, crafted jointly with Qatar and the US, calls for a 60-day truce in exchange for the release of several Israeli captives and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“We’re working toward a durable solution and a permanent ceasefire,” Abdelatty said in a televised interview with OnTV.

He emphasized that the initiative is "a first step" toward a broader, long-term peace agreement.

Risks to stability amid Israeli aggression

Abdelatty cautioned that any resumption of aggression by the Israeli occupation regime "would pose a major threat to regional stability.”

He stressed the importance of incorporating guarantees into any agreement to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire.

“There is an American vision and understanding of the importance of including guarantees in any upcoming agreement to ensure the sustainability of a ceasefire,” he stated.

Collapsed Jan. 19 Gaza truce

The latest proposal builds on the framework of the January 19 agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

That deal, intended to bring an end to "Israel's" genocidal war on Gaza, collapsed when the Israeli occupation military resumed its assaults on March 18.

Rejecting repeated international appeals for a ceasefire, "Israel" has continued its brutal war on Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 56,500 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.