Egypt hosted the Cairo Peace Summit to search out options to the continuing disaster in Gaza, which is devastated by the indiscriminate Israeli bombardment of civilian infrastructure and a ruthless blockade that prohibits important provides like meals, gasoline and water from coming into the besieged enclave.
The summit, held within the New Administrative Capital, east of the Egyptian capital Cairo, has been chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Among probably the most distinguished leaders collaborating within the summit are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Jordanian King Abdullah II.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres can be attending the summit.
At least 31 international locations and three worldwide organizations have confirmed their participation within the Cairo Peace Summit, in response to the non-public Cairo News Channel.
Israel was not represented on the assembly, formally dubbed the “Cairo Summit for Peace.”
Several audio system on the gathering voiced fears the continuing preventing may devolve right into a wider regional warfare with U.N. Secretary-General Guterres calling for motion “to end this terrible nightmare.”
Guterres listed three fast targets: unhindered humanitarian help to besieged civilians within the Gaza Strip, the fast and unconditional launch of all hostages kidnapped from Israel, and dedicated efforts to curb violence to forestall the battle from escalating.
The battle may solely be solved with a two-state answer, one for Israelis and one for Palestinians, he mentioned.
In a gap deal with to the convention, Egyptian President el-Sissi mentioned the intention of the assembly ought to be “reaching a roadmap to end the current humanitarian tragedy and revive the peace process.”
He added that the summit was held throughout “tough times testing our humanity.”
Egypt, the primary Arab nation to signal a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, is fearful a few mass exodus of Gazans into its territory.
”Egypt renews rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians and their exodus to the Egyptian territories because this would liquidate the Palestinian cause,” el-Sissi mentioned in a gap deal with on the assembly.
”Under no circumstances, will the liquidation of the Palestinian cause happen at Egypt’s expense,” he added.
Palestinian Authority chief Abbas lent his backing to el-Sissi’s place.
”We won’t accept displacement. We’ll remain steadfast on our land whatever the challenges,” he mentioned on the convention.
”We won’t leave. We won’t leave. We won’t leave. We’ll stay in our land,” he added defiantly.
King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose nation maintains diplomatic hyperlinks with Israel, voiced “unequivocal rejection” of the pressured displacement of Palestinians.
”This is a war crime according to international law, and a red line for all of us,” he mentioned.
The monarch additionally known as for an “immediate end to the war on Gaza,” safety of civilians, and adoption of a “unified position that indiscriminately condemns targeting of civilians.”
He was sharply important of the Israeli navy marketing campaign in Gaza.
“It is collective punishment of a besieged and helpless population It is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. It is a war crime,” he mentioned.
The one-day convention opened shortly after the primary vehicles carrying humanitarian support began to maneuver by means of Egypt’s solely border crossing with the Gaza Strip.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez mentioned a pause was crucial to guard the lives of the 200 Israelis being held captive by Hamas in Gaza in addition to Gaza’s Palestinian civilians.
Spain holds the rotating six-month EU presidency till the top of the 12 months.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly mentioned on the assembly that “even in times of war, there are rules,” and Palestinian and Israeli civilians are equal and both must be protected.
World leaders and diplomats have rushed to the Middle East after Hamas unleashed a large-scale terrorist attack on Israel, prompting retaliatory airstrikes on the heavily populated Palestinian enclave.
Egypt said on Saturday its invitation to the summit sought to build an “international consensus” to call for an end to the ongoing war “that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians” on the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
“This consensus also warns of the dangers of the current conflict spreading to other areas of the region,” an Egyptian presidential assertion added in English.
Without elaborating, the assertion mentioned the convention attendees met “to consult and explore ways to advance efforts toward containing the aggravating crisis” in Gaza and towards navy de-escalation.
The battle in Gaza, below Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, started when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged shock assault that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It mentioned the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and rising violence by Israeli settlers.
The Israeli navy then launched Operation Swords of Iron towards Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.
The demise toll within the Gaza Strip as a result of ongoing Israeli assaults has climbed to 4,385 together with 1,756 youngsters on Saturday, whereas the determine stands at greater than 1,400 individuals in Israel.
Earlier Saturday, a humanitarian convoy of 20 vehicles started to enter the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian aspect of the Rafah crossing, the primary because the armed battle broke out between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Source: www.dailysabah.com