Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II decried the “collective punishment” of Palestinians in Gaza during their meeting in Cairo, where they discussed the Israel-Hamas war.
Prior to the meeting, the Jordanian royal court announced that Sisi and King Abdullah would be in talks to explore ways to halt the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
In subsequent statements issued separately, the Egyptian presidency and the royal court confirmed that the two leaders “affirmed their unified position rejecting the policy of collective punishment in the siege, starvation or displacement.”
Israel has been carrying out air and artillery strikes on Gaza since Hamas gunmen unleashed a massive attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7 that Israeli officials say killed more than 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
The health ministry under Hammas’ authority reports that Israeli strikes have claimed the lives of 3,478 individuals in the besieged Palestinian enclave, with the majority being civilians.
A blockade enforced by Israel has resulted in the deprivation of essential provisions, including food, water, electricity, and fuel for the 2.4 million people in the territory. The United Nations has raised concerns about the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Sisi and King Abdullah warned of regional spillover.
According to the Jordanian statement, should the conflict persist, it poses a significant risk of “to plunge the entire region into catastrophe.”
The two leaders 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 fatal strike on a Gaza hospital.
Their meeting coincides with the anticipated arrival of UN 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 addressed the foreign ministry’s emphasis on the “priority of delivering humanitarian and emergency aid to the people of Gaza.”
Sisi’s office stated that he also conversed about “the situation in Gaza” with US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla on Thursday.
Egypt and Jordan pioneered the normalization of relations with Israel, commencing in 1979 and 1994, respectively. They have since played pivotal roles as intermediaries between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
