A summit was held today, Wednesday, in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II. The official spokesperson for the presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, stated that "the two leaders held talks, during which the president welcomed the Jordanian king in his second homeland, Egypt. They expressed satisfaction with the pace of coordination and consultation between the two countries, which reflects the great importance of the relations between their peoples and leaderships. The leaders explored ways to develop relations and open new horizons to enhance them in various fields, in line with their special and fraternal relations."
He added: "The discussions addressed developments in the regional situation, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and the humanitarian tragedy facing the sector, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries and hundreds of thousands of displaced people, in addition to the extensive destruction of infrastructure and facilities in the sector."
The two leaders firmly rejected "all attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause or to forcibly displace Palestinians outside their lands or to displace them internally," emphasizing that "the only solution that the international community should push for is an immediate ceasefire, allowing for humanitarian aid to flow in the necessary quantities and speed that would make a real difference in alleviating the suffering of the people of the sector, along with a serious push towards a political path for a just and comprehensive settlement that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions."
The Egyptian presidency published a video of the moment when the Egyptian president welcomed the Jordanian king in Cairo in preparation for their summit to discuss the situation in Gaza. This summit comes at a time when a delegation from Palestinian Authority officials is expected to head to Cairo in the coming days to discuss Egypt's role in the future of the Gaza Strip.
A senior Palestinian Authority official was quoted as saying that "the channel between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority has opened, after Cairo proposed a three-phase plan to end the war, which includes a national Palestinian dialogue under Egypt's sponsorship aimed at ending the division between Fatah and Hamas." According to the report, the head of Palestinian intelligence, Majid Faraj, has already left for Cairo to discuss changing the terms of the Egyptian proposal.
The Wall Street Journal reported that it had reviewed the Egyptian proposal, describing it as "the most comprehensive peace plan presented to both parties (Israel and Hamas) in the 11 weeks of war", noting that "some points in the plan are expected to be unacceptable to both sides." It clarified that "the proposal calls for an initial ceasefire for a period of up to two weeks, to allow for the release of Israeli hostages, including children, women, and the elderly who need medical care, in exchange for the release of about 140 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Following this step, a transitional government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is to be formed from various Palestinian forces, including Hamas."
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II are holding an Egyptian-Jordanian summit today, Wednesday, as stated in a statement published by spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy on the official presidency page.
