Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has told journalists that the Egyptian peace proposal to end the conflict in Gaza was "still on the table" and that Egypt would like see a rapid conclusion to the violence.

Egypt extended its diplomatic efforts Saturday, despite the ongoing violence in Gaza. An Israeli delegation, which had been expected in Cairo, cancelled its visit, amid the fighting. The arrival of a joint Palestinian delegation, announced last week, has also yet to materialize.

At a joint news conference in Cairo, visiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi voiced support for a quick conclusion to the hostilities between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

'No alternative' to Egyptian peace proposal

Sissi insisted that there is “no alternative” to the Egyptian peace proposal and that its acceptance at the start of the conflict would have “avoided much bloodshed and loss of life”:

He says that Egypt's peace plan is still on the table and capable of solving the conflict and that efforts have been exerted from the outset with all the parties. He stresses that the proposal was made before Israel began its ground operation - and before the loss of many lives.

The Egyptian president also discussed the deteriorating security situation in neighboring Libya and called on the international community to act to help restore order:

He says that as violence intensifies, the international community and Europe, especially, have moral, humanitarian and security responsibilities to act. He added that there should be an international strategy to confront the spread of terrorism in the region.

He went on to argue that Egypt's security situation has improved markedly since last year, but that the country remained “at war” as terrorist attacks continue, albeit at a lower level. Sissi noted that Egypt is facing a growing threat from its border with Libya, due to the “absence of security forces on the Libyan side.”

Libyan crisis

Meanwhile, inside Libya, the country's newly elected parliament met for discussions in the eastern city of Tobruk Saturday, postponing its formal inaugural session until Monday. The body's interim speaker, Abu Bakr al-Baiera urged Libyans to “unite” to confront the terrorist threat facing the country:

He says that parliament should unite the nation and put an end to what divides Libyans. He goes on to say that the difficult security situation had prevented some MPs from attending Saturday's session, prompting deliberations to be postponed until Monday.

In other developments, Libyan TV reported that rival militias resumed fighting in the capital, Tripoli, near a fuel depot, which had burned out of control for several days before firefighters finally were able to put it out. The TV report indicated that a mortar round had set part of the depot on fire yet again.

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Source: VOA News: Economy and Finance