Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri expressed hope for an agreement to pause fighting in Gaza that could lead to a permanent cease-fire. Speaking at a diplomacy forum in the Turkish city of Antalya, Shoukri said it was important that a cease-fire is achieved before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin around March 10.
Quick Read
- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri expressed optimism for a potential pause in Gaza fighting, leading to a permanent ceasefire, particularly before Ramadan around March 10.
- Shoukri highlighted the importance of a ceasefire to prevent heightened emotions and dissatisfaction in the Arab and Muslim world, including the West Bank and Jerusalem, during Ramadan.
- Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing him of wanting to depopulate Gaza, leaving it uninhabitable and devoid of residents.
- Malki represents the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Associated Press has the story:
Egyptian Foreign Minister hopes for pause in Gaza war before Ramadan
Newslooks- ANTALYA, Turkey —
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri expressed hope for an agreement to pause fighting in Gaza that could lead to a permanent cease-fire.
Speaking at a diplomacy forum in the Turkish city of Antalya, Shoukri said it was important that a cease-fire is achieved before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin around March 10.
“We are hopeful that the areas of divergence between the two sides can be bridged and that we can reach at least a temporary cessation of hostilities to lead to a permanent one,” Shoukri said.
“If this conflict was to continue in Ramadan,” Egypt’s top diplomat added, “I think this will have a very dire consequence in that the emotions will be further inflamed, the dissatisfaction of the Arab and Muslim world — not to mention, of course, the West Bank and Jerusalem — will be aggravated.”
Speaking at the same panel, Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of harboring “undeclared objectives” of depopulating Gaza.
“This is exactly what Netanyahu wants: to displace people completely out of Gaza, to not only to leave Gaza uninhabitable, but also to leave Gaza with no population,” he said.
Malki is a cabinet member in the Palestinian Authority, which administers semi-autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah meet in Moscow, 1st meeting since Oct. 7
Representatives of rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah met in an official capacity for the first time since Oct. 7 this week at a summit hosted by Russia, along with other Palestinian factions. Following two days of meetings, the factions said in a joint statement Friday that they aim to hold more rounds of meetings to reach “national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
Quick Read
- Representatives from Hamas and Fatah, along with other Palestinian factions, convened in Russia for their first official meeting since October 7.
- The summit aimed to advance Palestinian national unity under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
- Unlike Fatah, Hamas is not part of the PLO, which has recognized Israel. Hamas has indicated interest in joining the PLO, which would imply recognition of Israel based on pre-1967 borders.
- Hamas official Osama Hamdan expressed the group’s support for forming a Palestinian government involving various factions to oversee post-war rebuilding and organize general elections in Gaza and the West Bank.
- The future governance of Gaza post-war is a contentious issue, especially between Israel and the U.S. Both countries agree that Hamas should not govern Gaza post-war, with the U.S. advocating for eventual Palestinian governance in Gaza and the West Bank towards statehood. In contrast, the Israeli government under Netanyahu opposes a two-state solution, favoring a governance model in Gaza led by selected Palestinians.
The Associated Press has the story:
Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah meet in Moscow, 1st meeting since Oct. 7
Newslooks- BEIRUT — (AP)
Representatives of rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah met in an official capacity for the first time since Oct. 7 this week at a summit hosted by Russia, along with other Palestinian factions.
Following two days of meetings, the factions said in a joint statement Friday that they aim to hold more rounds of meetings to reach “national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
Hamas is not part of the Fatah-dominated PLO, which has officially recognized the state of Israel. Hamas does not — although its leaders have signaled that they are interested in joining the PLO, which would at least implicitly entail recognizing Israel based upon pre-1967 borders.
Hamas political official Osama Hamdan said last week that his group hopes to reach a “unified position” on future governance of the Palestinian territories with Fatah and other factions. Hamdan said Hamas supports a “Palestinian government to be formed by the factions” which would be tasked with post-war reconstruction and preparing for general elections in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The form post-war governance of Gaza will take has been a matter of heated debate, including between Israel and its primary backer, the United States. While both Israel and the U.S. say Hamas cannot govern the enclave after the war, the Biden administration seeks eventual Palestinian governance in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to Palestinian statehood. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects a two-state solution and envisions hand-picked Palestinians administering Gaza.
