Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday stressed the importance of international efforts to remove obstacles to delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

Sisi and Blinken agreed to intensify joint efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of hostages, the statement added.

(Reporting by Clauda Tanios and Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Kevin Liffey)