Egypt's Sisi, Zelensky Again Discuss Ukraine Crisis

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021. (Reuters)
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021. (Reuters)
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Egypt's Sisi, Zelensky Again Discuss Ukraine Crisis

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021. (Reuters)
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021. (Reuters)

For the second time in a week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a telephone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the developments of the Ukrainian crisis.

“The Ukrainian president reviewed the latest developments in this context, especially with regard to the course of negotiations,” Sisi’s office said.

He emphasized the importance of addressing all means that can lead to calm and a peaceful solution to the conflict. He stressed Egypt's keenness to exert all efforts to that end, whether at the bilateral, regional or international levels.

In March, Egypt had joined 140 other nations in voting in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling on Russia to end the fighting and withdraw its military forces from Ukraine.

The vote included five against, while 35 countries abstained.

Egypt said it voted in favor of the resolution in line with its respect for international law and the UN Charter.

However, Cairo said the resolution should not avoid looking into the main reasons behind this crisis, rejecting to the principle of imposing economic sanctions outside the international multilateral system and warning of the economic and social repercussions of this crisis.

Egypt also undelrined the importance of upholding dialogue and diplomatic solutions, as well as efforts that would speed up reaching a political settlement to the crisis in a manner that preserves international security and stability, and ensures that the situation does not escalate or deteriorate.

Less than a week ago, Sisi received a phone call from Zelensky, who briefed him on the latest developments in Ukraine.

Sisi expressed his appreciation for Ukrainian measures to facilitate the exit of Egyptians from Ukraine and to ensure their safety and security.



Large Gaza Food Convoy Violently Looted, UNRWA Says

A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
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Large Gaza Food Convoy Violently Looted, UNRWA Says

A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

A convoy of 109 trucks was violently looted on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza, resulting in the loss of 98 trucks in what aid workers say is one of the worst such incidents in the more than 13-month-old war, an UNRWA aid official told Reuters on Monday.

The convoy carrying food provided by UN agencies UNRWA and the World Food Program was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route from Kerem Shalom crossing, Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer told Reuters.

"This incident highlights the severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza," she said, adding that injuries occurred in the incident.

"⁠The urgency of the crisis cannot be overstated; without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over two million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive," she said.

WFP and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that deals with Palestinian civilian affairs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency says it does all it can to ensure that enough aid enters the coastal enclave, and that Israel does not prevent the entry of humanitarian aid.

A UN aid official said on Friday that Gaza aid access had reached a low point, with deliveries to parts of the besieged north of the enclave all but impossible.