CAIRO

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Sunday for engaging with international mediation efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza, warning of the risk of opening a new war front in Lebanon.

The call came during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday between al-Sisi and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown.

The meeting came as Egypt is set to host a new round of Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah.

Sisi underlined the urgent need for decisive international action and involvement from all key stakeholders to “defuse tensions and halt the escalation that threatens the security and stability of the entire region,” the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

He warned of the “potential dangers of opening a new front in Lebanon” and stressed the importance of “maintaining Lebanon's stability and sovereignty.”

The Egyptian leader underscored the necessity of supporting joint efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the US to achieve an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and facilitate the exchange of prisoners, which would pave the way for a more stable and peaceful environment in the region.

He also pointed to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive political process to establish a viable Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution to help serve long-term regional stability.

Brown, for his part, expressed the US appreciation for Egypt's central role in supporting stability, security, and peace and expressed his country’s commitment to continuing joint efforts in military cooperation to advance mutual interests and support regional stability, according to the same statement.

Israeli warplanes launched over 40 airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Sunday, the most severe attack since cross-border attacks with Hezbollah began on Oct. 8, 2023. The Israeli army claimed that the strikes aimed to prevent an impending Hezbollah attack.

The Lebanese group, for its part, said it launched hundreds of missiles and drones deep into Israel in the “first phase” of its response to last month’s assassination of its commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut.

Since October 8, 2023, Hezbollah has been engaged in daily exchanges of fire with the Israeli army across the Blue Line, resulting in hundreds of casualties, mostly on the Lebanese side.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 40,400 Palestinians since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion. The military campaign has reduced much of the territory to rubble and left most of the people homeless, hungry and prone to disease.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi