Egypt's Sisi working with Israel and Gaza to 'restore peace'

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on the second day of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, has expressed hope that calm would be restored soon.

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Speaking at a military academy event on Saturday, Sisi said his government was trying to play a positive role through contacts with the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

"We are working with our partners to restore peace and stability in the Gaza Strip," he said.

Egypt has traditionally played the role of mediator in the Israel-Palestine conflict since it formally recognised Israel in 1979.

Cairo brokered the truce that ended the 11-day war in Gaza last year. The war killed 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, and displaced at least 72,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.