The international summit that brought together nearly twenty Arab and European countries, among others, this Saturday in Egypt to address the crisis in Gaza, explore formulas to contain the deterioration of the situation and move towards a military de-escalation ended without any joint agreement. , despite the seriousness of the situation. There were new calls to redouble efforts to move towards a lasting resolution of the conflict based on the two-state solution. The statement issued by the Egyptian Presidency at the end of the meeting was limited to stating that Cairo hopes that the international community will reassess its strategy of recent decades on the Palestinian issue in order to unblock a “real and serious” peace process.
Expectations for the conference were low from the beginning, especially since the main actors involved in the crisis were either not present, such as Israel, Iran and Hamas, or sent lower-ranking officials, such as the United States, which was represented. by the chargé d’affaires of your Embassy in Egypt. At the same time, the position of Washington and Brussels, which have insisted at all times on Israel’s right to defend itself against a terrorist threat, is very far from the position of the majority of Arab capitals, which point out that the escalation is framed in a context of occupation, lack of future prospects for the Palestinian people and unilateral actions by Israel. The leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom did not attend the summit, which was also held against the backdrop of an imminent Israeli invasion of Gaza. The attending countries also failed to agree on a joint final declaration.
In his opening speech, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi proposed a roadmap out of the crisis that includes first ensuring the “unrestricted and sustainable” delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and negotiations aimed at achieving a halt to the fire. Al Sisi called to then reactivate a peace process with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state, and said that “the time has come to dispel the political illusion that the status quo can be maintained.” Just before the start of the summit, the first convoy of humanitarian aid for the Strip finally crossed the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
The acting president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, condemned “the terrorist attacks” against Israel and recognized its right to defend itself “in strict compliance” with international law, in line with the position of the European Union, but also called for a halt humanitarian fire and to send more aid to Gaza. As a representative of Spain, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, Sánchez declared that the priorities must be to protect civilians and guarantee their access to humanitarian aid, free hostages held by Hamas, and prevent the conflict from escalating. expand in the region, and asked to work for the two-state solution. Other European delegations also focused on the humanitarian issue and respect for international law.
In addition to the joint meeting, Sánchez met with the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmud Abbas. “I have conveyed our support and solidarity with the suffering of the population in Gaza,” the president said in a publication on his X account (formerly Twitter). “Spain will increase humanitarian aid and cooperation to Palestine,” he promised.
The leaders of Arab countries present at the summit for their part pressed for an end to the escalation, condemned the acts of violence against civilians in Gaza, and once again rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians from the Strip, as they have suggested. in the last two weeks the United States and Israel. The dehumanization of Palestinian victims was also lamented, and the need to take firm steps towards the two-state solution as a basis for guaranteeing long-term peace and stability in the region was emphasized again. “The two-state solution and the end of the occupation according to a clear timetable is the solution to the current crisis,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said during his speech.
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The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, stated in his speech that nothing justifies the attack by Hamas against Israel, but he also pointed out that this cannot serve as a reason for “collective punishment” of the Palestinian people and called for respect for the right humanitarian international. Guterres also insisted on the need to return to the two-state solution as the “only realistic basis for true peace and stability” in the region, adding: “We cannot and should not ignore the broader context of these tragic events: the prolonged conflict and 56 years of occupation with no end in sight.” The UN Secretary General also called for a humanitarian ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of “immediate, unrestricted and sustained” aid to Gaza civilians, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and to prevent the spread of the violence.
Although those attending the meeting were unable to agree on a joint declaration, holding the summit allows Egypt to reinforce its role as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, claim its political relevance in the region, especially in the eyes of Western countries, and try to retain some control over the agenda, as it has done in several previous escalations of violence that have occurred in recent years.
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