A “peace summit” aimed at resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was held in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
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It was attended by leaders, foreign ministers and diplomats from dozens of European, Arab and African countries. They were unable to accept a common final statement, Reuters reports.
European leaders arrived in Cairo knowing they would not be able to sign a draft joint declaration that did not mention Israel’s right to protection from Hamas, sources told The New York Times.
Like every other country in the world, Israel has the right to defend itself and its people from terror, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in her speech at the summit, adding that defense must be carried out “within the framework of international law.”
The message the Arab world is hearing is loud and clear. Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli lives. Our lives matter less than the lives of other people,” said King Abdullah II of Jordan.
The head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, told summit participants that the Palestinians “will not be expelled from their land.” In turn, France called for the creation of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza, which could lead to a ceasefire.
Reuters noted that Britain and Germany called on the Israeli military to refrain, while Italy said it was important to avoid further escalation.
From the United States, the only person present at the summit was the US Charge d’Affaires in Egypt, who did not speak publicly at the meeting. The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, emphasized that the main goal of the summit was to “listen to each other.”
There were no Israeli representatives at the summit. Reuters and The New York Times do not specify whether country representatives were invited to this meeting. At the same time, the Haaretz newspaper wrote that Israeli politicians “made it clear” that they would not participate in the summit.
Let us remind you that Hamas militants attacked Israel on the morning of October 7. They fired thousands of rockets and broke into border areas, engaging in battle with the Israeli military. The militants were also taken hostage. The Israeli army began launching massive attacks on the Gaza Strip.
On October 14, the Israel Defense Forces announced that it was ready to expand military operations against the Hamas group that attacked the country. According to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, US and EU authorities have called on Israel to postpone the ground operation in the Gaza Strip in order to negotiate the release of people whom Hamas militants took hostage during the attack on Israel.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.