Egypt’s president and the top US diplomat have discussed mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the US to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners and captives, Al Jazeera reports.

A statement by the Egyptian presidency said el-Sisi “affirmed that the time has come to end the ongoing war, resort to the voice of reason and wisdom, and uphold the language of peace and diplomacy”.

It added that “a discussion took place about the results of the negotiating meeting held last week in Doha and ways to move the situation along and make progress in the ongoing talks in Cairo”.

El-Sisi stressed that an expansion of the bombardment in Gaza into a regional conflict would have “unimaginable consequences”, the statement said.