Cairo: Egypt expressed hope to reach a truce agreement that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza and the completion of a prisoner exchange deal. This came during a phone call between Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Badr Abdelatty, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday. The Egyptian foreign minister expressed his hope that mediation efforts will be successful in easing the tensions in the region and avoiding the region slipping into a vicious cycle of violence and escalation. The two ministers discussed the regional crisis in light of the ongoing war in Gaza and Israel's repeated violations of international law and international humanitarian law. At the end of the call, the two ministers agreed to continue consultations to follow up on the course of bilateral relations during the coming period, as well as developments in the regional situation. Source: Jordan News Agency