By Ibrahim Khazen
CAIRO (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Thursday of the “extreme danger” from an ongoing Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank.
The warning came during a meeting in Cairo between Sisi and a delegation from the US Congress led by Senator Joni Ernst to back efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
Sisi warned of “the gravity of the escalation and tension in the region due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
He underlined Egypt’s keenness to continue its efforts, in coordination with partners, “to put an end to the Israeli war that has caused a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip,” it added.
For months, Egypt, Qatar and the US have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.
The Egyptian leader warned of “the extreme danger of the current Israeli escalation in the West Bank, which greatly increases the risks of complicating the regional situation.”
The Israeli army launched a major military operation in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, the largest in two decades.
At least 17 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli operation began on Wednesday, according to the Health Ministry.
The operation came as Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The onslaught has resulted in more than 40,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,800 injuries, according to local health authorities.
An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala