Egypt Daily News – Egypt hosted a meeting on Sunday of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza with Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union. The meeting addressed the situation in Gaza and the details of the Arab-Islamic plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and was attended by Arab and Islamic country foreign ministers and the Arab League.
The parties discussed the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and expressed deep concern over the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza and the resulting large number of civilian casualties due to recent airstrikes.
The parties condemned the resumption of hostilities, the targeting of civilians, and attacks on civilian infrastructure. They called for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages and detainees.
This agreement, which came into effect on January 19, was brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. The parties emphasized the need to progress toward the second phase of the agreement to ensure its full implementation, including the release of all hostages, a permanent end to hostilities, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
The parties called for full respect for international humanitarian law and international law. They stressed the importance of ensuring the rapid, sustained, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as the large-scale distribution of humanitarian assistance across the entire sector.
They demanded the removal of all restrictions hindering humanitarian aid access and the immediate restoration of all essential services, including electricity supplies and water desalination facilities.
The parties welcomed the Arab recovery and reconstruction plan presented at the Cairo Summit on March 4, which was subsequently adopted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and welcomed by the European Council.
The parties reaffirmed that the plan ensures the Palestinian people remain on their land. They firmly rejected any forced transfer or displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza or the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and warned of the dire consequences of such actions.
The parties emphasized the importance of supporting the early recovery and reconstruction conference for Gaza, scheduled to be held in Cairo with the participation of relevant stakeholders. They urged the international community to mobilize the necessary resources to be announced during the conference to address the catastrophic situation in Gaza.
The parties stressed the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the umbrella of the Palestinian National Authority. They affirmed their support for the Authority to assume all its responsibilities in Gaza and ensure its effective governance of both Gaza and the West Bank.
They reiterated the necessity of respecting and preserving the unity and integrity of the occupied Palestinian territories as a fundamental element in realizing a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, including Jerusalem, in accordance with UN resolutions and within the framework of a two-state solution that achieves lasting peace and stability in the region.
The parties reaffirmed that Gaza is an inseparable part of the territories occupied in 1967. They reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution in which Gaza is part of the Palestinian state, in accordance with international law, including relevant UN Security Council resolutions. They stressed the need for this principle to guide any discussions about Gaza’s future.
The parties also expressed deep concern over Israeli military incursions into the occupied West Bank, as well as illegal practices such as settlement activities, home demolitions, and settler violence, which undermine Palestinian rights, threaten the prospects for a just and lasting peace, and deepen the conflict. They pointed out that Israel, as the occupying power, must protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law.
They categorically rejected any attempts at land annexation or unilateral measures aimed at altering the legal and historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.
The parties reaffirmed their full commitment to a political resolution of the conflict based on the two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine coexist in peace and security, in line with relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, including the land-for-peace principle and the Arab Peace Initiative, paving the way for lasting peace and coexistence among all peoples of the region.
Furthermore, they reaffirmed their commitment to holding a high-level international conference under UN auspices in June in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to advance these objectives.
