The President of US Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt last night on the issue of de-escalation of tensions in the region, as well as the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the agreement on the release of those held by the radical Palestinian group "Hamas" Israeli hostages, the White House announced, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
At the same time, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement that during the telephone conversation with Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed Cairo's point of view regarding the "danger of consequences of the continuation of the war in Gaza and its negative impact on stability in the region". In his words, the conclusion of a truce between Israel and "Hamas" is the basis of the restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Biden and Sisi agreed to continue working for a ceasefire and to implement a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the coexistence of two states, the Egyptian statement added.
Etipet, Qatar and the US continue to act as mediators between Israel and "Hamas" to end the war in Gaza, Reuters points out.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US "will not tolerate" to an attack on their military personnel, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA. He spoke after the meeting he held together with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken with the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Defense of Australia - Penny Wong and Richard Marles, in the complex at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Austin made the statement in connection with the attack on American soldiers at a base in Iraq. At least five American servicemen were wounded, one of them seriously, in an attack the other day on the Ain al-Assad air base. in the western part of Iraq.
Asked if he knew who was behind the attack, the defense minister said the US was certain it was an Iranian-backed paramilitary group, Reuters noted.
"We are continuing to investigate the case so we can be definitive about this claim,", Austin said. The Iraqi army yesterday described the attacks as "reckless" actions against bases on its territory and said it captured a small truck with a missile launch system. The installation had eight ready-to-launch missiles that had been disconnected, the Iraqi military said in a statement.
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Source: www.bta.bg