Egypt and China demand a ceasefire in Gaza

Abdullah Abu Deif (Cairo)

Yesterday, in Cairo, the foreign ministers of China and Egypt called for a ceasefire after 100 days of war in Gaza, and the establishment of a full Palestinian state as a member of the United Nations.
In a joint press conference at the beginning of an African tour, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry called for the establishment of “an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
They also called in a joint statement for “an immediate and complete ceasefire, and to stop all acts of violence, killing, and targeting of civilians and civilian facilities.”
In the statement, Cairo and Beijing called for “creating a political horizon for peace between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, and coexistence between the two peoples, by starting to implement the vision of a two-state solution, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, including by holding an international peace conference to find a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the issue.” Palestinian Authority by ending the occupation and embodying an independent and continuous Palestinian state.”
Discussions were held in Cairo between Minister Shukri and a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during the latter’s visit to Egypt, and the two sides exchanged views on the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the crisis in the Gaza Strip, according to Statement by the Office of the Spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two ministers expressed deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and the daily suffering witnessed by the people of the Strip, stressing the importance of rapid, safe, sustainable and unhindered access to adequate humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
The two parties appealed to the international community and international donors to provide all means of support to the Palestinian National Authority to facilitate its carrying out the tasks entrusted to it to the fullest extent in all of the occupied Palestinian territory.
The two sides expressed their close follow-up of developments in the situation in the Red Sea and the importance of reading these developments in relation to the situation in Gaza. They also expressed concern about the expansion of the conflict in the region, while emphasizing the importance of uniting international and regional efforts to immediately stop the attacks on the Gaza Strip and work to reduce the intensity of the conflict. Tension and instability in the region, and they stressed the priority of ensuring the safety and security of navigation in the Red Sea.
The two ministers expressed the appreciation of the Egyptian and Chinese sides for the efforts made by both sides to calm the situation in the region, contain the repercussions of the current humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, work to end the war in Gaza, support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and support Egyptian efforts to achieve reconciliation. The Egyptian and Chinese sides agreed to continue communication and coordination to find a permanent, comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with the relevant international determinants.