Egypt supports 'any steps' to bring peace to region while preserving Palestinian rights, Sisi tells Netanyahu
Ahram Online, , Wednesday 2 Sep 2020
The Egyptian president underscored the importance of the Israeli side 'not taking unilateral measures that would undermine the chances for peace'


President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Egypt's support of ‘any steps’ aiming to bring peace to the region while preserving the rights of the Palestinian people, a statement by the presidency read on Wednesday.

Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi received a phone call from the Israeli prime minister to discuss the latest developments in the region.

El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's support of moves to bring about peace to the region in a way that preserves the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and allows the establishment of their independent state and provides security to Israel.

He also lauded the recent UAE-Israel agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, describing it as a step in the direction of bringing peace to the region.

Under the peace accord reached in mid-August between the UAE and Israel, Israel has agreed to suspend the planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank.

The UAE is the first Gulf state and the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to sign a peace deal with Israel.

El-Sisi underscored the importance of the Israeli side ‘not taking unilateral measures that would undermine the chances for peace’, especially refraining from the annexation of Palestinian lands, Rady added.

He called for paving the way for regional and international parties to break the current deadlock of the Palestinian cause and push towards resuming negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to reach a fair and comprehensive deal based on the two-state solution in accordance with international references.

The statement added that El-Sisi urged adherence to the understandings of de-escalation between the Israelis and Palestinians regarding the Gaza Strip amid continued efforts by Egypt to reduce tensions between the two sides.

Egypt supports a two-state solution with East Jerusalem the capital of the Palestinian state and which is based on the 1967 borders, according to UN Security Council resolutions.

Cairo has repeatedly expressed its rejection of Israel’s plan to annex the West Bank and called for the revival of the peace process.

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