Egyptian, Saudi FMs call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

CAIRO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Saturday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as well as efforts to prevent further escalation of the situation.

The two sides held a phone conversation, during which they exchanged views on the current conflict in Gaza, said a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

The ministers agreed that the prospect of a full-scale confrontation in the Palestinian enclave will have severe repercussions in the region, adding that they will maintain coordination in order to end the military escalation.

The two sides underlined the importance of resuming the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, as it is the main track that guarantees the two-state solution, preserves all legitimate rights of the Palestinians, and leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Over the past six days, armed conflict between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups has kept flaring up, marking the fiercest fighting between the two sides since 2014 that has killed more than 120 Palestinians and nearly 10 Israelis.