CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.
During a phone conversation on Tuesday, they emphasised the necessity of an immediate ceasefire, an end to the Israeli ground incursion into the Strip, and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's opposition to any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land. Sanchez backed an Arab-led plan to rebuild Gaza and aligned Spain's position with Egypt in rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians or any move to undermine their cause, the statement said.
Sanchez, in a brief statement on X, confirmed his discussion with Sisi and called for "the immediate restoration of the ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table to achieve peace and stability in the region based on the two-state solution."
"This tragic spiral of destruction and death must end," he added.
The two leaders also discussed the situations in Syria and Lebanon, emphasising the need to maintain both countries' stability and territorial integrity.
Israel resumed strikes in Gaza on March 18 after its ceasefire deal with Hamas that began on January 19 unraveled. Israeli forces subsequently launched ground operations across southern, northern, and central Gaza. The death toll from this new escalation has topped 792, according to the Gaza-based health authorities.