Egypt and Brazil call for a ceasefire in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is visiting Cairo, on Thursday. They discussed upgrading bilateral relations and the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza.
He said that Brazil and Egypt have completed 100 years of diplomatic relations and said that the future will be even better. They have insisted on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been a major lifeline for relief supplies since Israel launched a major military offensive on Gaza in October last year.
Lula praised Egypt’s role in the safe evacuation and departure of some 2,000 Brazilian citizens from besieged Gaza through the Rafah crossing. The two leaders also expressed their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to end the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Lula said that in the talks with his Egyptian counterpart, they discussed upgrading the relationship between the two countries to the level of a strategic partnership and increasing trade exchange, which is currently worth about two billion US dollars annually.