The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is set to convene a summit in Cairo on Thursday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, according to the presidential announcement.
The Jordanian royal court, in a statement, conveyed that the two leaders would be in talks to explore ways to halt the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Israel has conducted air and artillery strikes on Gaza since Hamas fighters initiated a significant attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7. According to Israeli officials, the attack resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people, primarily civilians.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that the Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of 3,478 individuals in the besieged Palestinian enclave, with the majority being civilians.
Sisi and King Abdullah were scheduled to engage in discussions with US President Joe Biden and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Jordan this week. However, Jordan canceled the meeting following a lethal strike on a Gaza hospital.
Their meeting coincides with the anticipated arrival of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo on the same day.
During a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Cairo on Thursday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed the foreign ministry’s statement regarding the “priority of delivering humanitarian and emergency aid to the people of Gaza.”
Sisi’s office stated that he also engaged in discussions about “the situation in Gaza” with US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla.
Egypt and Jordan became the initial Arab nations to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, in 1979 and 1994, respectively. They have since played crucial roles as mediators between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
