During a telephone conversation, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, told his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, that maintaining the current status of the city has a direct impact on easing tensions, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

He also emphasized the need to work to reactivate the peace process as soon as possible, given that it is the only way to achieve the two-state solution, Shoukry said.

The return to talks will be the path to the establishment of the Palestinian state and the achievement of stability and comprehensive peace for the peoples of the region, he stressed, according to the text.

The head of Egyptian diplomacy assured that his government will continue its efforts to keep calm between Palestinians and Israelis.

In 1979, Egypt was the first Arab nation to sign a peace agreement with Israel and in recent decades has become an essential mediator between the parties.

Cairo played a key role in halting the Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip last August, which killed 49 Palestinians, 17 of them minors.

The nation’s efforts were also instrumental in reaching a truce during another aggression on the coastal enclave in May 2021, when more than 250 people were killed.

The phone call came two days after a summit in this capital between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II, who criticized Israeli colonization and land confiscation, home demolitions and displacement of Arabs in the West Bank.

They also urged the international community to protect these people, who are fighting for their legitimate rights.

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