EGYPT, US HOLD TALKS ON GAZA CEASEFIRE

ISTANBUL, Oct 11 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Friday discussed regional developments and Gaza ceasefire efforts with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a ministerial statement on Saturday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that during a phone call, Abdelatty discussed with Rubio the situation in the region and the positive developments regarding the Gaza ceasefire.

The discussion also covered arrangements for the upcoming summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, which will be jointly chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US President Donald Trump, according to the statement.

Abdelatty said, according to the statement, “Resolving the Palestinian issue and achieving a two-state solution would ensure lasting peace, stability and security in the region.”

On Wednesday, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he unveiled on Sept 29 to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of all Israeli captives held there in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and ensure the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

The first phase of the deal came into force at 12 noon local time on Friday (0900 GMT).

The second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’s participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU