Egyptian Foreign Minister Confirms to Turkish Counterpart the Importance of Transitioning to the Second Phase of the Gaza Agreement

SadaNews - The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today (Tuesday) that Minister Badr Abdel Atti confirmed in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan the importance of solidifying the ceasefire and transitioning to the second phase of the Gaza agreement.

The ministry mentioned in a statement that Abdel Atti stressed during the call the necessity of establishing a temporary Palestinian technocrat committee to manage the daily affairs of the residents of the sector "in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority to assume all its powers and responsibilities."

The Egyptian Foreign Minister also emphasized the importance of deploying an international stability force in Gaza and initiating an early recovery and reconstruction path, reiterating "the complete rejection of any measures or practices that would undermine the unity of the Palestinian territories, including ongoing Israeli violations in the West Bank."

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to move forward and transition to the second phase of the Gaza agreement to avoid a return to war and to maintain the fragile ceasefire that came into effect last October.

The second phase of the agreement includes additional Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, deploying an international stabilizing force, and beginning the work of the new governance structure that includes a "Peace Council" led by Trump. The planned international force is expected to be deployed in the area currently under the control of the Israeli army in the sector.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its statement today, also noted that Abdel Atti and Fidan discussed the situation in Syria, where Abdel Atti emphasized the importance of pushing towards a comprehensive and sustainable political solution based on preserving the unity of the state and the integrity of its territories.

In this context, the Egyptian Foreign Minister stressed the necessity of de-escalation in Syria, prioritizing political solutions, and dialogue as the only path to achieving stability, rejecting any practices that may affect the security of civilians.

The two ministers also discussed the ongoing arrangements for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Egypt during the first quarter of 2026, to co-chair with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi the second meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council.

Abdel Atti highlighted the importance of the visit in building on the momentum in Egyptian-Turkish relations in recent times, looking forward to the visit supporting economic cooperation, increasing trade exchange rates, and encouraging mutual investments.