CAIRO – 22 November 2024: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Thursday, where they discussed the Lebanese presidential vacancy crisis as well as developments in Lebanon and Gaza.
Abdelatty expressed Egypt's concern to his Iranian counterpart about the ongoing escalation in the region, reiterating the importance of reducing tensions and maintaining self-restraint in this critical period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The top Egyptian diplomat emphasized the significance of reaching an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and reviewed Egypt's communications with various regional and international actors to achieve de-escalation.
He highlighted Egypt's commitment to providing all forms of political and humanitarian support to Lebanon and its brotherly people.
Addressing the presidential vacancy crisis in Lebanon, Abdelatty stressed the necessity of supporting all parties in Lebanon during this critical stage to elect a president through national consensus without external interference.
He emphasized the importance of empowering Lebanese institutions, especially the army, and implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in its entirety.
Furthermore, Abdelatty underscored the importance of reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as the key element to halt the escalation across the region.
He pointing out that the continued Israeli aggression on Gaza risks expanding the conflict, leading to further destabilization in the region.
PEACE PROSPECTS
Since the start of the Israeli war in Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border fire with Israel stepping up attacks and launching a ground operation in the south of Lebanon over the past weeks.
In the wake of escalating Israeli aggression since late September, global efforts have intensified to reach a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah.
The Israeli attacks over the past year have killed over 3,500 people and forced more than 1 million people to flee their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
Lebanese officials have insisted that any ceasefire agreement must adhere to Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Lebanon War between Hezbollah and Israel.
This resolution stipulates the full halt of conflict between both sides, the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and armaments from the regions situated between the Blue Line and the Litani River.
Israel contends that this provision was never fully honored, whereas Lebanon accuses Israel of breaching the resolution through military flyovers above its territory.
A prospective agreement would likely outline a specific timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and involve the deployment of a substantial number of additional Lebanese army forces in that region, according to reports.
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