Egyptian, Canadian FMs discuss efforts to facilitate Gaza ceasefire

Cairo, Aug 21 (IANS) Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly have discussed efforts to facilitate a ceasefire in Gaza.

During a phone conversation on Tuesday, the two ministers exchanged views on developments in the Middle East, especially the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s efforts to contain the ongoing escalation in the region and to facilitate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency reported.The two diplomats stressed the need for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and urged the international community to help achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and to prevent the conflict from expanding, the statement said.Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators have been engaged in talks to broker a ceasefire in Gaza in recent days, with the latest round of talks taking place in Doha last week.–IANSint/sha