Presidents of US, Egypt discuss efforts to secure release of hostages and address humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Washington, DC [US], May 25 (ANI): US President Joe Biden held a telephonic conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and spoke on their continued efforts to secure the release of hostages and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Biden appreciated El-Sisi's commitment to allowing the flow of United Nations assistance from Egypt through the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
During the talks, Biden expressed full commitment to support efforts to reopen the Rafah crossing with arrangements acceptable to Egypt and Israel and agreed to send a senior team to Cairo next week for further discussions, according to the statement released by the White House.
In a post on X, Biden stated, "Today, I spoke with President Al-Sisi of Egypt on our continued efforts to secure the release of hostages and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I appreciate his commitment to allow UN assistance to flow from Egypt through the Kerem Shalom crossing."
Joe Biden expressed gratitude to El-Sisi for his efforts to ensure the continuous flow of assistance from Egypt to Gaza. The two leaders also held talks on new initiatives to secure the release of hostages together with an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza. The two sides agreed to remain in regular contact both directly and through their senior national security teams.
The statement released by the White House stated, "President Biden also expressed his full commitment to support efforts to reopen the Rafah crossing with arrangements acceptable to both Egypt and Israel and agreed to send a senior team to Cairo next week for further discussions. The President Biden thanked President Al-Sisi once again for his efforts from the beginning of the crisis to ensure the continuous flow of assistance from Egypt into Gaza."
"The two leaders also consulted on new initiatives to secure the release of hostages together with an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza. President Biden and President Al-Sisi affirmed their commitment to work together to set the conditions for a durable and sustainable peace in the Middle East region," it added.
Meanwhile, the United Nations' top court has ordered Israel to halt its operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and withdraw from the enclave, CNN reported.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands issued the order on Friday, in the case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide, citing "immense risk" to the Palestinian population.
"Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah Governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part," International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judge Nawaf Salam said.
Notably, the decision marks the third time this year, the 15-judge panel has issued preliminary orders seeking to rein in the death from the international community, including the United States, not to proceed.
The court stated that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had deteriorated "even further" since the court last ordered provisional measures in March. Salam said, "The humanitarian situation is now to be characterized as disastrous."
The ICJ noted that around 8,00,000 Palestinians had been displaced from Rafah as of May 18, after Israel began its military offensive on May 7. Israel had warned civilians in parts of the city to evacuate ahead of its operation, but the court said these efforts were not "sufficient to alleviate the immense risk to which the Palestinian population is exposed as a result" of Israel's incursion, as reported by CNN.
The court also expressed grave concern over the fate of the hostages abducted by Hamas and other armed groups after it attacked Israel on October 7. Israel launched its assault on the southern city of Rafah this month, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee a city that had become a refuge to about half of the population's 2.3 million people, Al Jazeera reported.
Rafah, on Gaza's southern edge, has also been the main route for aid, and international organizations have stressed that the Israeli operation has cut off the enclave and raised the risk of famine in the region, according to CNN report. (ANI)