Egypt Hosts Cairo Peace Summit As Aid Enters Gaza from Rafah Crossing
09:34 GMT 21.10.2023 (Updated: 10:27 GMT 30.01.2024)
© AFP 2023 / KHALED DESOUKI
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As the civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip surges during the continuing escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict, Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi invited leaders of more than a dozen states to Cairo for a summit to discuss ways to resolve the crisis.
Egypt’s capital, Cairo, is hosting a summit this Saturday aimed at hammering out a solution to the deadly new spiral of the Palestine-Israel conflict.
As the Rafah border crossing opened on Saturday, allowing 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the war-hit strip, leaders and foreign ministers of around 35 countries and four international organizations are attending the Cairo Peace Summit, initiated by Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Addressing those attending, Egypt's President underscored he had invited leaders to help achieve an agreement for a roadmap to end the continuing humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, and revive the path to peace.
Screengrab featuring footage from Cairo Peace Summit on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
© Photo : EgyptTodayMag/X
Who Is Attending Cairo Peace Summit?
The list of Arab leaders attending the Cairo Peace Summit, according to reports, is as follows:
Egypt's President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas
Jordan's King Abdullah II
King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed
Seen on a large screen the Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas attends the International Peace Summit hosted by the Egyptian president in Cairo on October 21, 2023.
© AFP 2023 / KHALED DESOUKI
Also believed to be attending the gathering are:
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa
British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James Cleverly
Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov
China’s envoy for Middle East issues, Zhai Jun
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres
Screenshot of X post showing arrival of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
arriving at Cairo International Airport in the Arab Republic of Egypt on October 21, 2023.
© Photo : PresidencyZA/X
The president of the European Council Charles Michel and the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell, are also visiting Cairo. Accordingly, the four organizations attending are the UN, African Union, European Union and the Arab League.
A truck of the Egyptian National Alliance carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip cross the Rafah border gate, in Rafah, Egypt, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
© AP Photo / Mohammed Asad
Why is the Cairo Peace Summit Being Held?
As the death toll continues to mount amid the relentless Israeli strikes that have pummeled the Gaza Strip after Palestinian group Hamas launched its large-scale surprise rocket attack against Israel on 7 October, Egypt’s President has insisted that bombardment of Gaza “goes beyond the right to self-defense,” amounting to "collective punishment” of Gazans. He strongly urged that every effort to be made towards the revival of a peace process before developments “become uncontrollable regionally.”
"There is a need for coordination and cooperation so that the region does not slide into war,” El-Sisi told visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, adding:
“This will give hope to the Palestinians once again to establish their Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
19 October 2023, 23:29 GMT
As the Gaza enclave is completely blockaded by Israel, there have been warnings of a devastating humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in an area that is home to more than two million people. Dire warnings from Arab countries of the risks of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis widening into a regional war prompted leaders of many countries to attend the summit in Cairo.
On 7 October, Palestinian group Hamas launched a large-scale surprise rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and seizing people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and fuel. The escalation of the conflict has resulted in thousands of people killed and injured on both sides.
Ahead of the summit in Cairo, an open letter from Palestinian civil society organizations stated that "Unconditional humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter immediately, in sufficient quantity, and be distributed equitably to all civilians across Gaza".
Screenshot of X post featuring Open letter from Palestinian civil society organizations ahead of the Cairo Peace Summit.
© Photo : alhaq_org/X
19 October 2023, 19:10 GMT
