Egyptian and Palestinian leaders united in Cairo yesterday to demand that Israel work towards a comprehensive resolution of the issue of Palestinian national rights.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said: “I tell the Israelis, both citizens and government: The time has come to end the conflict without further delay, to grant rights and establish justice so that prosperity and security can prevail.”

He told the international conference to raise cash to rebuild Gaza that reconstruction hinged on a “permanent calm” between Hamas and Israel and required the exercise of “full authority” by the Palestinian Authority.

His Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas said: “Israel’s aggression on the Gaza Strip exposed the fragility and dangerous nature of the situation in our region in the absence of a just peace.”

He urged the UN security council to lay down rules for any future talks with Israel, including setting a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian lands.

European Union foreign policy head Catherine Ashton said: “Only a credible resumption of the peace negotiations can allow for a durable solution to the current crisis.

“This must be the last time in which the international community is called upon to rebuild Gaza. There cannot be a return to the status quo which has proved unsustainable.”

Qatar offered £620 million towards reconstruction, while the United Arab Emirates promised £125m and the US £130m.

Mr Abbas has said that Gaza needs £2.5 billion to rebuild, noting that Tel Aviv’s recent onslaught caused “tragedies that are difficult to describe in words.”