Summit on Israel-Palestine crisis kicks off in Egypt

An international summit has started in Cairo, during which leaders of different countries and Western officials will discuss the escalation between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. About it reports Al Arabiya TV channel.

Cairo last week made a proposal to host an international summit. The President’s Office said at the time that the event was planned to discuss recent developments related to the Gaza crisis and the future of the Palestinian issue.

In particular, the King of Jordan Abdullah II ibn Hussein has already made an opening speech in Egypt. He declared that “the forced or internal displacement of Palestinians would be a war crime.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he had invited the leaders to reach an agreement to “end the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and revive the path to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.” He said the road map’s goals included delivering aid to Gaza and agreeing to a ceasefire.

The head of state also reiterated Egypt’s opposition to the “forced displacement” of civilians in the Gaza Strip and said that the Palestinian people “refuse to leave their land, even if it is under occupation.” He also called for international protection for the “Palestinian people and innocent civilians” in the Gaza Strip, the TV channel reports.

According to The Times of Israel, on October 21 in Egypt gathered “dozens of regional leaders and senior Western officials.” The meeting participants are expected to discuss ways to de-escalate hostilities. As noted, the summit is attended by the leaders of Qatar, the UAE, Palestine, as well as the prime ministers of Italy, Spain, Greece, Canada, and the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Great Britain and Japan.

According to Reuters, China announced the participation of its envoy on Middle East issues, Zhai Jun, at the summit, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov will represent Russia.

The meeting in Cairo takes place against the backdrop of the opening of the Rafah checkpoint on the border of Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Saturday, and trucks with humanitarian aid began to pass there, Al Arabiya TV channel reported. According to The Times of Israel, the first 20 trucks have left for the Gaza Strip. The UN said this first convoy “should not be the last.”