Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has endorsed the need to support the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and stressed the importance of not hindering the work of its employees. The Egyptian leader said this during a meeting in Cairo with the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns.
During the conversation, El-Sisi “pointed out the key role played by UNRWA and the need for the UN agency’s work not to be obstructed,” according to a special statement from the Egyptian presidential administration, published following the talks with the CIA chief.
Talks between the two sides dwelt on ways to advance the negotiations to reach a cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel, the presidency said in a statement.
They also highlighted the need for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza amid deteriorating conditions in the enclave, it added.
El-Sisi and Burns also addressed the escalation of tensions in Lebanon. The Egyptian leader stressed “the need for an urgent ceasefire in the Lebanese south, warning of the danger of a continuation of the conflict, which could have the most serious consequences for all the peoples of the region,” Anadolu reported.
