Palestinian premier discusses developments in Gaza with Egypt, Algeria

ISTANBUL

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa discussed developments in Israel’s devastating war on the Gaza Strip with Egypt and Algeria’s foreign ministers on Thursday.

Mustafa, who is also Palestine's foreign minister, held separate phone calls with each minister, according to official statements.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Palestinian premier spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and discussed the Israeli war on Gaza and efforts for a cease-fire in the enclave.

The statement also cited his eagerness to jointly work with Egypt to stop the war on Gaza.

Meanwhile, Algeria’s official news agency APS said Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf had a conversation with Mustafa and reviewed international efforts aimed at ending Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.

Mustafa was sworn in as Palestine's prime minister before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on March 28.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack in early October by the Palestinian group Hamas killed around 1,200 people.

More than 33,000 Palestinians have since been killed and 75,577 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.