Sunak and Sisi Agree on Avoiding Conflict and Express Condolences to Abbas for Gaza Victims

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed today, Friday, on the necessity for world leaders to do everything possible to prevent the spread of conflict in the Middle East. Following their meeting in Cairo, Sunak also welcomed Egypt's efforts to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Gaza as soon as possible. Sunak met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo today, emphasizing the need to allow aid into Gaza and to prevent civilian casualties in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Sunak's office stated after the meeting, "The Prime Minister expressed his deep condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza... The leaders agreed on the necessity for all parties to take steps to protect civilians." The statement added that they "condemned Hamas's terrorism and emphasized that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. The Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza."