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King, Egyptian, Palestinian presidents urge maintaining pressure to end Israeli aggression on Gaza, protect civilians

10 January 2024

His Majesty King Abdullah, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday reiterated the need to maintain pressure to push for ending the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and protecting unarmed civilians.

At a summit held in Aqaba to discuss the dangerous situation in Gaza, the three leaders reaffirmed their rejection of any Israeli plans to displace Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, urging international denouncement and rejection of these plans.

The leaders also stressed their complete rejection of all attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue, or separate Gaza and the West Bank, as they must both be part of the Palestinian state.

The leaders warned against attempts to re-occupy parts of Gaza or establish “safe zones” in the Strip, stressing the need to enable Gazans to return to their homes.

Additionally, the leaders highlighted the need to ensure the sustainable delivery of sufficient relief and humanitarian aid to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The leaders warned of extremist violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as the violations against Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which could cause chaos in the West Bank and lead to an explosion in the region.

They agreed to maintain coordination with Arab states and active players to find a political horizon to the Palestinian issue to reach just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, which fulfils the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty warned against any escalation that could lead to a spillover of the war and would complicate efforts to reach calm, stressing that the current dangerous situation demands extraordinary efforts to identify the required steps in the upcoming phase.

Earlier on Wednesday, the King held two separate meetings with the Egyptian and the Palestinian leaders prior to the trilateral summit, within the framework of efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, and the Egyptian and Palestinian delegations attended the meeting.