CAIRO, - Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi said on Sunday Israel's retaliation against the Palestinian people "has exceeded the right to defend itself and turned into a collective punbishment to 2.3 million Palestinians."

The Egyptian Presidency said in a statement that the president's statement came during his meeting with the visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss efforts for resolving the crisis in the occupied territories.

"The latest event happened as a result of accumulation of anger and hatred for 40 years and lack of a political horizon to resolve the Palestinian cause that could give hope to the Palestinians," the president said.

"It is quite important to alleviate tension and facilitate entry of the aid to Gaza Strip," President Sisi said, warning of the potential ramifications of the current crisis on the Middle East security, restressing the necessity for resolving the conflict and halting the bloodshed.

Any procrastination in the search for a solution to the current crisis will lead to fall of more victims, Sisi stated, affirming his "rejection of harming the civilians and condemnation of the Israeli military escalation." Egypt is exerting huge efforts to contain the situation and prevent other parties from getting involved in the conflict, he said.

Source: Kuwait News Agency