TIANJIN, September 1. /TASS/. Israel must accept the latest ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip and move forward to negotiations on a final ceasefire, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during his speech at the SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin, China.

"Israel must accept the latest ceasefire proposal and move on to negotiations on ending the war and rebuilding Gaza in accordance with the plan approved by Arab and Islamic countries," Madbouly stressed. The Al-Youm as-Sabia website published the full text of his speech. He also noted that, in Cairo’s view, "the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is to establish a single Palestinian state within the 1967 borders."

In March, the Israeli army resumed hostilities in Gaza, breaking the ceasefire established in January. Several rounds of negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US failed to produce a new agreement. On August 8, Israel’s military-political cabinet approved a plan to seize control of the entire Gaza Strip and expand operations in the enclave.

On August 18, Hamas expressed approval of the mediators’ ceasefire proposal, which was subsequently forwarded to Israel. Two days later, Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the plan to capture Gaza City, and on August 21, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also endorsed the strategy.

On August 29, Israeli Defense Forces Spokesman Avichay Adraee announced that preparations had begun for an offensive on the administrative center of the Palestinian enclave.