Sisi, Abdullah II, Abbas Summit Condemns ‘Settler Terrorism,’ Stresses Arab Initiative

Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)
Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi, Abdullah II, Abbas Summit Condemns ‘Settler Terrorism,’ Stresses Arab Initiative

Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)
Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)

The Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian tripartite summit, hosted by the city of New Alamein (northwest of Egypt) on Monday, condemned the ongoing and escalating “unlawful” Israeli practices that undermine the rights of the Palestinian people.

The summit called for the “necessity of halting (settler terrorism) and extremist currents and holding them accountable.”

It also condemned the violation of the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctuaries and called for an end to incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Emphasizing the importance of international and Arab legal references, the summit, attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prioritized the resolution of the Palestinian issue.

This includes the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within a clear timeline.

The leaders affirmed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative in its entirety, considering it the “most comprehensive approach to achieving a just peace and meeting the aspirations of all peoples in the region for a stable future characterized by coexistence, development, and cooperation among all its nations and states.”

They highlighted that resolving the Palestinian issue and achieving a just and comprehensive peace is a “strategic choice, regional and international necessity, and a matter of international security and peace.”

In its concluding statement, the summit called for a halt to “unlawful Israeli practices that undermine the rights of the entire Palestinian people, violate the rules of international law, and undermine the internationally agreed upon two-state solution, leading to violence and chaos.”

The three leaders underscored the importance of Israel, as the occupying power, ceasing all settlement activities, confiscation of Palestinian lands, forced displacement of Palestinian people from their homes, and altering the character and identity of Jerusalem.

Israeli acts represent a “blatant violation of international law and legitimate international resolutions”, they stated.

In the same context, Egyptian and Palestinian presidents affirmed the historical Hashemite guardianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, highlighting its role in preserving its Arab-Islamic and Christian identity.

 

 



Netanyahu: Israel Retains Right to Resume Gaza Fighting

FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
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Netanyahu: Israel Retains Right to Resume Gaza Fighting

FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 03 March 2020, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivers an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Israel retains the right to resume war in Gaza with US backing should the second stage of the ceasefire prove pointless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.

"If we must return to fighting we will do that in new, forceful ways," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

"President (Donald) Trump and President (Joe) Biden have given full backing to Israel's right to return to combat if Israel concludes that negotiations on Phase B are futile," he said.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), mediator Qatar announced Saturday, as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid.
The prime minister had warned earlier that a ceasefire wouldn’t go forward unless Israel received the names of hostages to be released, as had been agreed.

The pause in 15 months of war is a step toward ending the deadliest, most destructive fighting ever between Israel and the Hamas militant group — and comes more than a year after the only other ceasefire achieved. The deal was achieved under joint pressure from Trump and the outgoing administration of President Biden ahead of Monday's inauguration.
The first phase of the ceasefire will last 42 days, and negotiations on the far more difficult second phase are meant to begin just over two weeks in. After those six weeks, Israel’s security Cabinet will decide how to proceed.
Israeli airstrikes continued Saturday, and Gaza's Health Ministry said 23 bodies had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours.