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Egypt, China Demand Ceasefire in Gaza, Establishment of an Independent Palestinian State

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Egyptian Presidency)
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, China Demand Ceasefire in Gaza, Establishment of an Independent Palestinian State

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Egyptian Presidency)
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and China agreed on the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to protect and provide relief to civilians, defuse tension in the region, and mitigate factors of regional instability.
On Sunday, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received Members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Wang is currently on an African tour that will see him also visit Togo, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, senior Chinese officials, and China's Ambassador to Egypt.
Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said the Chinese minister handed Sisi a letter from President Xi Jinping, confirming China's commitment to further advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
The letter valued Egypt's role in consolidating the Middle East's security, stability, and development.
According to the Egyptian statement, the meeting touched on ways to strengthen frameworks of cooperation.
Both sides called to continue joint economic development projects at the bilateral level and within the framework of their membership of the BRICS grouping and the Belt and Road Initiative.
They also exchanged views on regional and international developments, notably the ongoing escalation in the region against the backdrop of the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Sisi underscored the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza to protect civilians, provide them with relief from the catastrophic humanitarian situation they have been enduring, defuse tension in the region, and avoid factors aggravating regional instability.
China's Foreign Minister concurred with Egypt's position and valued its internationally recognized role along political and humanitarian tracks.
During the talks, Egypt and China underscored the vital need to comply with international law, reiterating their categorical rejection of individual and collective forced transfer or forced displacement of the Palestinians from their lands.
They also agreed on the necessity to address the root causes of the crisis through a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State by the resolutions of international legitimacy.
The two sides stressed the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities to enforce the delivery of relief into the Gaza Strip, in line with the relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
Later, the Egyptian Foreign Minister held a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart asserting the necessity of establishing an independent, fully sovereign state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
A joint statement of the two ministers urged an immediate and complete ceasefire and an end to all acts of violence, killing, and targeting of civilians and civilian facilities.
In the statement, Cairo and Beijing called for creating a political horizon for peace between the Israeli and Palestinian sides and coexistence between the two peoples.
China maintains good relations with Israel, but for decades, it has supported the Palestinian cause and called for settling the conflict based on a two-state solution.
The two ministers closely follow security developments in the Red Sea. They expressed concern about the expansion of the conflict in the region and stressed the priority of ensuring the safety and security of navigation in the Red Sea.
Wang later said in a press conference that the Red Sea is an essential international corridor for goods and energy, urging an end to harassment of civilian ships and maintaining the smooth flow of supply chains, production, and the global trade system.
The Chinese official considered the tension in the Red Sea "an embodiment of the external repercussions of the conflict in Gaza."
The Security Council did not authorize any country to use force against Yemen, and it is necessary to avoid fueling the tensions in the Red Sea, said Wang.
The Egyptian minister warned of the dangers of expanding the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Shoukry warned that the escalation on the Lebanese border and tensions in the Red Sea indicate an expansion of the conflict.

 

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SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi revealed that coordination had been taking place on the ground since the second day of the Deterrence of Aggression operation, waged by the Military Operations Command led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, against the Syrian regime.

He added however that direct negotiations have not been launched with the HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi stressed that the SDF was prepared to merge with new Syrian army, but only after reaching a negotiated agreement on the “suitable framework”.

Moreover, he underlined the need for “Syria to remain a united country.” The shape of its new political system should be decided by the people and constitutional discussions.

*Were you aware of the operations of the Syrian factions before December 27? Did you ever predict that Assad’s regime would fall in ten days?

We had signals that the armed factions were launching a military operation against the former regime. This was expected, but what was not expected was the rapid collapse of the army without putting up a fight. We were also surprised that their allies, who had stood by it throughout the Syrian revolution, were so quick to abandon it. I believe we will find out more in the future about what happened behind the scenes of the operation.

*Was there any coordination or communication with the HTS during those ten days of fighting?

No coordination was taking place with the HTS before the operation. We did get in contact on the second day to avert a clash between our forces in some Aleppo neighborhoods and to evacuate refugees from the Tal Rifaat camps that had been attacked by Türkiye-backed factions. This field coordination is still ongoing.

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a rally in support of the SDF in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

*What will Syria look like after Assad’s collapse? Will you take part in negotiations with the HTS over the shape of the state and its political system?

We have not yet launched direct negotiations with the HTS, but we believe that Syria should be a decentralized democratic state where the country’s diversity will be safeguarded by the constitution and the rights of all segments of society, including the Kurds, will be ensured.

We are not seeking Syria’s division and we are prepared to play our role in building and in partnering with the government that will rule the country. Syria has witnessed a lot of bloodshed. We are urgently calling for comprehensive direct dialogue to pave the way for the era of peace so that Syria can forge ahead and rebuild itself.

*Do the Kurds wants a federal or confederate Syria?

Above all else, it is imperative that Syria remain united. We believe that a lot of discussions will be held over the shape of the ruling system. This will be up to the people to decide and up to the constitutional discussions.

*What are the SDF’s conditions should negotiations be held over the regions controlled by the autonomous administration?

We don’t want to call them conditions, but there are some issues that are imposed by the reality on the ground and that should be taken into consideration. The priority lies in ending the military operations throughout Syria, especially the attacks carried out by Türkiye and its affiliated factions against the SDF. This will allow us, as Syrians, to discuss the future of our country without foreign interference of dictates. The regions controlled by the autonomous administration are Syrian and their representatives should have their voices heard and they should be part of discussions on building the future.

About the country’s resources, they belong to all the Syrian people. We are committed to a future where the resources are fairly and equally distributed by the state to all Syrians so that everyone can enjoy stability and prosperity. Attention must be given to regions that had been marginalized by the Assad regime.

*Leader of the new administration in Damascus Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on all Syrian armed factions to lay down their arms. Some have already done so; what is the SDF’s position on this?

The Syria of the future must have a unified national army that defends the country and its citizens. This is not up for debate. The SDF’s weapons will go to the army and the SDF will merge with the army. However, for this to happen, we need to have direct negotiations to reach a framework over how this can be implemented.

*There are growing Kurdish concerns over the city of Ain al-Arab, or Kobane. What are the SDF’s plans should it be attacked?

The threat by the Türkiye-backed factions against Kobane remains very serious. We are working with our partners in the US-led international coalition to ease the tensions there. That is why we proposed that the region be removed of all weapons. This will ease the concerns that Türkiye has spoken about. Türkiye, however, has not yet responded to this proposal and it continues to amass its forces. The truth is the attack on Kobane will be a disaster and will pose a major threat to the stability of the region. We hope it won’t happen.

*Are there direct or indirect contacts or negotiations with Ankara over the Syrian regions bordering Türkiye?

Indirect contacts are taking place with Türkiye through our partners in the international coalition. However, we want to hold direct negotiations to ease Türkiye’s fears, but Ankara has so far not expressed its readiness for such talks even though we are.

*Regional and international powers have constantly demanded that you sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). What do you say to these demands?

We have previously said that the SDF does not have organizational ties to the PKK. Some of its members have joined us in battles against ISIS. We fought side by side, but they will be removed once the military operations end and once the mechanism to do so is in place. The decision making in northern and eastern Syria has long been in the hands of the people and it will remain so. There are no justifications for these fears.

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

*Will the SDF allow the Syrian members of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan return to Syria?

We are talking about building a national Syrian army, the laying down of arms and merging the factions with the army. If members of the Peshmerga return home from abroad, then they will naturally play a role in building their nation.

*What is your assessment of the threat posed by ISIS in Syria?

Combating ISIS is a priority for the Syrian people and region. The SDF is ready to work with the new Damascus government in operations against the organization and in combating terrorism.

We are committed to ensuring the security of our neighbors. Syria will not pose a threat to their safety and stability. We are prepared to work with the central government to put in place measures that guarantee that no non-Syrian actors will threaten Syria and its neighbors’ security. We are also ready, in principle, to hand over the responsibility of monitoring the border to the Damascus authorities according to an agreed framework.

*Are you planning on visiting Damascus?

Of course. Damascus is our capital, and we will visit it when the conditions are right.