CAIRO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron affirmed on Friday that the current peace efforts over Gaza must lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
During a phone conversation, the two leaders agreed that the current efforts must be followed by the launch of a comprehensive political process that results in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
Sisi stressed the necessity of solidifying the ceasefire in Gaza and moving on to implementing the second phase of the peace plan.
He also emphasized the importance of increasing the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip and immediately commencing the early recovery and reconstruction phase.
The call also touched on the developments in the West Bank, with Sisi affirming Egypt's rejection of the Israeli violations, stressing the need to support the Palestinian people, increase international pressure to stop these violations, and support the Palestinian Authority.
For his part, Macron expressed his appreciation for the important role played by Egypt in achieving regional stability, especially in solidifying the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to the statement.
Several Western countries, including France and Britain, moved to formally recognize the state of Palestine at the height of the Israeli military operation in Gaza earlier this year.
Israel's current government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has rejected the prospect of establishing a Palestinian state, arguing that such a state would threaten Israel's existence. ■
