Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip and ways to return the situation under control during a phone conversation on Monday, Sisi’s office said.
According to the statement, the phone conversation was held at the initiative of the Russian side.
"President El-Sisi and President Putin reviewed diplomatic efforts underway to contain the situation and prevent the expansion of the violence and conflict, which jeopardizes security and stability in the region," the statement read.
Sisi and Putin agreed on the importance of supporting the ceasefire and ensuring security of civilians, the office said.
"The two Presidents agreed on the importance of giving priority to the path of promoting calm and restoring security and stability. They reiterated the need to prioritize the protection of civilians and the prevention of targeting them, noting the gravity of the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip," the statement read.
On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel to declare a state of war the following day and launch retaliatory strikes. The death toll in Israel is over 1,400 people. While, in the Gaza Strip, over 2,750 people were killed. Both sides reported thousands of injured as a result of the escalation.
According to Putin, the settlement of the Middle East crisis is possible only on the basis of the "two-state" formula approved by the UN Security Council, which implies the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, have also discussed the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone and possible further steps on de-escalation