An American newspaper revealed that Washington relies on senior Egyptian officials to pressure the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to accept a truce with Israel, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her solidarity with Israel.
The American Wall Street Journal said it reported these mediation developments on the authority of a Western official.
In turn, the French presidency said in a statement that France and Egypt discussed the Gaza crisis and agreed to continue efforts to declare a quick truce and avoid exacerbating the situation.
The Elysee statement was issued after French President Emmanuel Macron received his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Paris.
A spokesman for the French government said, "We are seeking, with Egypt, Jordan and Germany, for a ceasefire and to ensure a lasting solution in the region. We started a diplomatic move a few days ago to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible."
For her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed - in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - solidarity with Israel and the need to reach a speedy end to the conflict.
German Chancellor Netanyahu informed her of her condemnation of protests in Germany that witnessed what she called the spread of "hatred and anti-Semitism."
The father of one of the children who were martyred says: This is the occupation targets bank pic.twitter.com/Aj0A7dpC64
- Jerusalem News from the heart of the event (@ bloods2021) May 17, 2021
Blinken's statements
In the same context, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urged all parties to protect civilians, and said that the United States is working intensively and diligently behind the scenes to end the violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
"We are working around the clock through diplomatic channels to try to end the conflict," Blinken said during a joint press conference today, Monday, with his Danish counterpart in Copenhagen. "Peace must be established so that the states of Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace."
Blinken stressed that Israel has the right to defend itself, but he expressed his annoyance at exposing journalists and medical workers to danger, especially after Israel destroyed the day before Saturday, a tower in Gaza that housed the offices of media institutions, including the Al Jazeera network and the American Associated Press.
The American Secretary affirmed "support for any diplomatic initiative for a ceasefire, but it depends on the will of the parties." He also welcomed the efforts of the United Nations and a number of countries to cease fire.
Move my nations
In terms of international moves, diplomatic sources said to the island that a draft statement from China, Tunisia and Norway in the UN Security Council called for an end to violence between Palestinians and Israelis, respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians.
The draft statement expressed concern about the situation in Gaza and urged respect for the current historical situation in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Since May 10, the Israeli army has continued its raids on separate areas of the Gaza Strip, targeting public facilities, civilian homes and government institutions.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the number of victims of the aggression rose within a week to 200 martyrs - including 59 children and 35 women - in addition to the injury of 1,305 wounds of varying severity.