UK premier, Egyptian president discuss Gaza, Sudan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the" appalling suffering" in Sudan in a call Tuesday.

Starmer and Sisi "strongly welcomed" the vote Monday of the UN Security Council, which endorsed US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, a UK government spokesperson said in a statement.

They agreed that implementation "must now follow as quickly as possible," including the establishment of the International Stabilization Force and more aid flowing in.

The UN Security Council adopted the US-drafted resolution, establishing a transitional Board of Peace and authorizing an International Stabilization Force to oversee governance, reconstruction and security efforts in Gaza. The resolution passed with 13 votes, with Russia and China abstaining. The mandate runs until Dec. 31, 2027.

Since October 2023, nearly 69,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 170,700 wounded in Israel's onslaught that has reduced much of the enclave to rubble.

Turning to Sudan, the British premier expressed the UK's readiness to support a transition to a civilian-led government.

"Discussing the appalling suffering in Sudan, they stressed the need for ongoing international co-operation," the statement added.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 100,000 civilians have fled El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city Oct. 26.

The rebel group controls all five Darfur states, out of Sudan's 18 states, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states, including Khartoum.

Darfur makes up about one-fifth of Sudan's territory, but most of the country's 50 million people live in army-held areas.

The conflict between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.