CAIRO, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held phone talks on Wednesday, during which they discussed efforts to resume and implement the Gaza ceasefire deal.
According to a statement published by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the two sides exchanged opinions over paving the road to an early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza to ensure settling the Palestinians on their land.
They agreed to continue coordinating to ease the regional escalation and prevent further regional tensions, the statement said.
The two sides also stressed the importance of joint work to reach a political settlement that ensures regional stability, by establishing a Palestinian state as a final solution to the conflict, the statement said.
A phased ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took effect on Jan. 19 after 15 months of Israel's devastating assault on Gaza. Its first phase includes the release of 33 hostages and about 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. All remaining living hostages are expected to be released in the second phase in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and more Palestinian detainees freed.
However, Israel refused to move to the second phase and resumed air and ground assaults on Gaza last week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel renewed military operations because Hamas rejected offers to extend the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement. ■
