Egyptian, Palestinian PMs discuss developments in Palestine

Cairo, Aug 18 (IANS) Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Palestinian counterpart Mohammad Mustafa discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian territories.

During the meeting in Egypt's New Alamein city on Sunday, Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, pledging to provide all possible assistance to end the war in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

Madbouly stressed Egypt's support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination through an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He reiterated Egypt's rejection of any attempts or plans to displace Palestinians from their land, liquidate the Palestinian cause, or continue home demolition and settlement expansion policies across the Palestinian territories.

The Egyptian Prime Minister also stressed the importance of implementing the outcomes of the high-level international conference for the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution, which was held in New York on July 28 under the co-chairmanship of Saudi Arabia and France.

For his part, the Palestinian Prime Minister confirmed that the Arab-Islamic plan emphasises that reconstruction is possible without displacing the Palestinian people.

Mustafa called for more international coordination and consultation on the Palestinian issue, expressing gratitude to Egypt for its significant efforts to support the Gaza Strip.

Indirect ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel have stalled, despite ongoing efforts by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US to continue the talks and halt the war in the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said the army will "soon" begin a new offensive to take over Gaza City, the Gaza Strip's largest urban centre, despite international warnings about the consequences for the already devastated enclave.

The remarks came a day after Israel announced plans to relocate residents from Gaza City.

According to Gaza's health authorities, at least 61,944 Palestinians have been killed and 155,886 wounded by Israeli strikes and gunfire since October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters launched a deadly attack on Israel.

--IANS

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