Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo, 8 January, 2024. AFP
According to the Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy, El-Sisi and Abbas discussed the appalling human tragedy in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s increased violence in the West Bank.
Abbas briefed El-Sisi on the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and stressed the necessity that all relevant parties collaborate to end the ongoing Israeli war and aggression against the Palestinians.
Furthermore, the two leaders stressed the pivotal role of the Palestinian National Authority and the importance of supporting it in carrying out that role, Fahmy said.
They also categorically rejected any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause or displace Palestinians from their lands.
Moreover, both leaders affirmed that the Palestinians and their cause are at a crossroads, Fahmy noted, and therefore, the international community must fulfil its historical, political, and humanitarian responsibilities to reach a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian cause.
Such a settlement, the two leaders affirmed, must culminate in establishing an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to Fahmy.
The two presidents also stressed that such a settlement to the Palestinian cause constitutes the primary guarantee for the region's stability and security.
Furthermore, the Palestinian President expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s historic role in supporting the Palestinian cause and highlighted Cairo’s enormous and tireless efforts to stop the bloodshed of the Palestinian people and support them in obtaining their legitimate rights, according to Fahmy.
Egypt's efforts
Since the outbreak of the war in early October, Egypt has called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt has also facilitated delivering humanitarian aid from different countries worldwide to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing and, recently, through the Karm Abu Salem crossing
In this regard, Egypt has repeatedly urged the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2720, which stipulated the creation of a mechanism to speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Cairo hosted in December two delegations, one from Hamas -- headed by Ismail Haniyeh -- and another from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement (PIJ) -- headed by its secretary-general Ziad Nakhaleh -- for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza and a captive-prisoner exchange.
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