CAIRO, Jan 17 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan “without any delay.”

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Abdelatty said a deal had been reached thanks to “deep involvement” by Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators, including officials from the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“We have a deal. What’s very important is to start implementation,” Abdelatty said. “What we are doing now is to push for final approval and implementation, without any delay.”

Abdelatty said the talks were set to begin soon, and that the mediators would have an “operation room” overseeing the deal in the Egyptian capital.

“We are fully committed to fulfill our own commitments and we are expecting that others to fulfill their own commitments,” he said.

The top diplomat said the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that includes the West Bank and Gaza.

Abdelatty stressed that Egypt aims to open the Rafah border crossing as soon as possible to allow in 600 trucks a day “because people are starving on the ground.”

He added that arrangements are still being worked out, but that Egypt would welcome the return of civilian observers from the European Union.

“The EU presence would be of great importance,” Abdelatty said.

Egypt has lost about $600 million in revenue each month as a result of the ongoing tensions, he added.

The top diplomat said the presence of an estimated 10 million refugees and migrants – including tens of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza — has created an additional burden.

“We are not a rich country,” he added. (MENA)

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