From left, Director of Jordanian General Intelligence Ahmed Husni, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein Al-Sheikh, and Head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service Majed Faraj hold a meeting in Cairo, 27 December 2021. Egyptian foreign ministry
The meeting was held between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Palestinian Civil Aviation Minister Hussein Al-Sheikh, where they discussed the recent developments in the Palestinian issue.
The meeting was also attended by the intelligence chiefs of the three countries.
The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs, headed by Al-Sheikh, is in charge of mediating between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli authorities.
The meeting also discussed enhancing relations between the three countries, developments regarding the peace process, and strengthening the unity of the Palestinian ranks, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The participants also "assessed the situation on the ground in the Palestinian state in light of the continuation of the illegal measures that undermine the chances of achieving a fair peace in the occupied Palestinian lands, including East Jerusalem," the statement said.
Egypt, Jordan, as well as European powers and the US have frequently condemned Israeli moves to build new homes on occupied Palestinian land, including East Jerusalem. They have affirmed that such moves undermine regional peace efforts.
Consolidating ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction
The Cairo meeting discussed finding a political roadmap to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution.
The two-state solution involves the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with the currently occupied East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and the Arab Peace Initiative, the statement said.
In May, Egypt brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza enclave, ending 11 days of Israeli aggression that killed more than 250 Palestinians and injured thousands.
Egypt also allocated $500 million for the reconstruction of the strip.
Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in May and August and met with officials from both sides to consolidate the ceasefire.
Earlier this month, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, where he highlighted Egypt’s continued efforts to prevent tensions between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh in September, El-Sisi underscored the importance of international support for Egyptian reconstruction efforts in the Palestinian territories.
This was the first visit by Bennett to Egypt as prime minister, as well as the first visit by any Israeli prime minister to Egypt since 2011.
Trilateral coordination
The Cairo meeting today "stemmed from the desire of the three countries to intensify the continued coordination between them to unify the efforts related to the developments and challenges facing the Palestinian cause," the statement said.
The meeting also aimed to coordinate stances and visions on how to follow up on the outcome of the trilateral summit between the leaders of the three countries in Cairo last September.
El-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas emphasised the importance of unifying all partners' efforts to revive the long-frozen peace process between Palestine and Israel during their September summit.
The summit also affirmed the "firm" positions of Egypt and Jordan in supporting the Palestine state and President Abbas against any measures that would affect the right of the Palestinian people to obtain their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
During the meeting today, the ministers discussed the contacts made by the three countries on the regional and international levels, and tackled means of activating the international frameworks related to the situation in the Palestinian territories and the path of peaceful settlement.
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