French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd L), attend a meeting with foreign ministers from major Arab and majority-Muslim countries to discuss the situation in the Israeli war, at the Elysee Palace, on November, 2023. AFP
The French visit marks the conclusion of the committee's tour of several member states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The committee was assigned via a resolution by the Arab-Islamic Summit to engage with international parties in an attempt to halt the Israeli aggression against Gaza.
Joining Shoukry in the meeting with Macron were the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.
Abu Zeid said that during the meeting, the foreign ministers emphasized the important historical role France plays in supporting the Palestinian cause. They called for the implementation of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip.
The committee highlighted that achieving an unconditional cessation of hostilities remains the desired path to mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe facing Gaza.
The foreign ministers also conveyed the “unified positions of Arab and Islamic countries regarding the necessity of stopping Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people in Gaza and holding the perpetrators accountable,” according to the statement.
They also stressed that the collective vision for achieving peace and coexistence in the region can only be realized through the establishment of a two-state solution and the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Shoukry affirmed the Arab and Islamic countries' aspirations for France to play a leading and pivotal role in resolving the current crisis, given its membership in the Security Council and its positive approach to the proposed resolution facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid.
The meeting commended the joint mediation efforts of Egypt and Qatar, which resulted in an agreement on Wednesday for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to take place at 10 am Thursday -- an agreement that was later delayed by Israel to Friday.
In the past 72 hours, the delegation had visited China, Russia, and the UK.
Short link: