This came during a phone call between Abdel Aty and Witkoff while the latter was in Washington, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement explained that the call took place before the US envoy's departure to the region, and focused on "efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, ensure unconditional access to humanitarian aid, and release a number of hostages and prisoners."
The statement added that the two sides exchanged views on the efforts of the three guarantor parties—Egypt, the United States, and Qatar—to secure a ceasefire by intensifying pressure, allowing for an agreement to be reached as soon as possible.
Abdel-Ati also "extensively reviewed the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, resulting from blatant Israeli violations and the use of starvation as a weapon against the Palestinians."
Witkoff is scheduled to arrive in Israel, according to what Channel 12, the private Israeli news channel, reported, citing two American officials.
The channel added: "Wittkov is expected to meet tomorrow with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to discuss the situation in Gaza and possible solutions."
An Israeli official told the channel that the real reason for Witkoff's visit was to "exert pressure to complete the deal."
Witkov's visit comes "in light of the stalemate in negotiations with Hamas regarding the kidnapped soldiers deal and the ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Strip," according to the same source.
Hamas and Tel Aviv began a new round of direct negotiations in Doha on July 6, seeking a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement, mediated by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States. However, Tel Aviv and its ally, Washington, announced last Thursday the withdrawal of their national teams from Doha for consultations.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
On another front, Abdel-Ati discussed Egyptian efforts to resume negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, both between Washington and Tehran and between the latter and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
On June 13, Tel Aviv, with US support, launched a 12-day aggression against Iran. Iran responded by targeting Israel with ballistic missiles and drones, before the United States declared a ceasefire on the 24th of the same month.
Tel Aviv and Tehran, the other capital, are considered its arch-enemies, and Israel's recent aggression against Iran marked a transition from a decades-long "shadow war" of bombings and assassinations to an unprecedented open hybrid war between them.
