Cairo hosts Arab ministerial meeting to discuss efforts for Gaza ceasefire

CAIRO – 21 March 2024: A high-level ministerial meeting took place in Cairo on Thursday to discuss the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza and emphasize the urgent need for a ceasefire and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid.

Foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan, as well as the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, attended the meeting, along with the Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The meeting coincided with the visit of United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Cairo, where he held discussions with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Local reports indicate that the Arab officials will meet with Secretary Blinken in the Egyptian capital to discuss the situation in Gaza.

Indirect ceasefire negotiations are currently underway between Hamas and Israel, facilitated by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, with the aim of ending the months-long conflict in Gaza for a period of at least six weeks.

Numerous nations, particularly Egypt, are deeply concerned about Israeli plans for a ground invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza that is currently home to nearly 1.5 million Palestinians, up from around 200,000 before the war.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his approval for a potential ground invasion in Rafah, which includes evacuation of the population.

Egypt fears that such an operation in Rafah would result in significant loss of innocent lives and potentially force a large number of people across the Egyptian border into Sinai, a scenario that Egypt has repeatedly rejected.

Egypt remains committed to taking all necessary measures to prevent any displacement of Palestinians into its territory.