Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and King Abdullah II of Jordan in a trilateral summit in Cairo today to discuss the recent developments in Gaza. “In the context of the resumption of Israeli military strikes on Gaza, they called for an immediate return to the ceasefire, for the sake of the Palestinians to be protected and receive immediate and full humanitarian aid,” reported a joint statement published by Jordan’s Royal Hashemite Court. “They called for the implementation of the 19 January exchange deal guaranteeing the release of all hostages and detainees and ensuring security for all.”
The three leaders also “expressed alarm at the increasingly deteriorating situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and urged a stop to all unilateral measures that undermine the viability of the two-state solution and increase tensions. They also urged respect for the historical status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites.
“The leaders expressed their rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their land or any annexation of any Palestinian territory.”
They also called for “international endorsement of the reconstruction plan for Gaza adopted by the Arab Summit held in Cairo on 4 March, as well as by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation on 7 March, and discussed its effective implementation when it comes to security and governance. Leaders underlined that governance and maintaining order and security in Gaza, as well as in all Palestinian territory, shall come solely under the authority of an empowered Palestinian National Authority, with strong regional and international support.”
In a separate statement, King Abdullah II warned that continued Israeli attacks on Gaza undermine all diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to end the crisis, and threaten to plunge the entire region into chaos, reported the Jordan Times. King Abdulllah II stressed the need to reach regional calm and work towards finding a political horizon to achieve just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, which guarantees the security and stability of Palestinians, Israelis, and the entire region.
