Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone conversation, during which they emphasised the urgent need to build upon the recent UN Security Council resolution concerning the Gaza Strip.
The leaders stressed that this follow-up is essential to solidify the existing ceasefire and achieve further de-escalation in Gaza, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
On November 17, the UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing the creation of an international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.
The resolution authorises UN member states and the Board of Peace, a transitional administration in Gaza that will coordinate reconstruction efforts, to establish a temporary ISF in Gaza to carry out its mandate consistent with international law.
Countries will contribute personnel to the force “in close consultation and cooperation” with Egypt and Israel. In their talks, Sisi and Starmer underscored the significance of building upon the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, held in Egypt in October, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and the swift beginning of the reconstruction process.
For his part, Starmer reiterated the need to deliver sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip and to take all necessary measures in this regard, including encouraging more international humanitarian relief organizations to work toward achieving this goal. Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said on November 18 that the recent UN Security Council resolution on the Gaza Strip represents the “beginning of the road, not its end.”