Gaza war spillover to heighten instability, threaten global security: Egypt to Iran

CAIRO – 17 August 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs Badr Abdelatty has stressed the need to contain escalation in the region due to the war in Gaza, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri, on Saturday.

Abdelatty emphasized the need to avert the risks of a conflict spillover, which would only lead to further instability and threaten regional and international peace and security, read a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.

Abdelatty highlighted to Bagheri the regional and international communications conducted by Egypt to achieve this goal, in the interest of all peoples in the region, underscoring Egypt's vested interest in de-escalation.

Discussions focused on Egyptian efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Abdelatty affirmed that Egypt will spare no effort to end the unprecedented humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people, noting the international awareness, more than ever, of the necessity to halt the war and facilitate a prisoner exchange deal.

This marks the third telephonic exchange between the two foreign ministers this month amid a progressively turbulent regional environment.

Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza have all pledged retaliation against Israel in response to the killings of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran by Israeli forces in July.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has vowed severe repercussions against Israel at an opportune moment, hinting at potential broader targets beyond military installations.

Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have stepped up their mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, aiming to achieve a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange agreement to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and mitigate escalating regional tensions.

On Friday, the United States proposed a plan endorsed by Egypt and Qatar aimed at bridging the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas, with senior officials engaging in two days of discussions in Doha.

The mediators are scheduled to meet in Cairo later this week with the aim of finalizing an agreement based on the current circumstances, as per a joint statement by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.