Egypt, Jordan, France urge immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Cairo, April 9 (IANS) Egypt, Jordan, and France have urged an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli siege and bombardment over the past six months.

In a joint article on Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II, and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate and unconditional implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2728, which demands an immediate ceasefire in the conflict-stricken enclave, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We warn against the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. Such an offensive will only bring more deaths and suffering, heighten the risks and consequences of mass forcible displacement of the people of Gaza and threaten regional escalation," said the leaders.

Noting that there is an urgent need for a massive increase in the provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance, the leaders urged Israel to ensure the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, a responsibility it has not fulfilled.

They demanded an immediate release of all hostages and reaffirmed their support for the negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States dealing with ceasefire, hostages, and detainees.

The massive conflict in Gaza has so far killed 33,207 Palestinians, in addition to many unreported under the rubble, and injured 75,933 others, according to the update released by Gaza's health ministry earlier on Monday.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation to a Hamas rampage in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.