Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El- Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah said after a summit in Cairo on Wednesday that they rejected any Israeli move to expel Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, state media reported. In a statement, both leaders also said the international community should pressure Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire and allow enough aid into war-torn Gaza to ease the “tragic plight” of over 2 million people under siege there.
Quick read
- King Abdullah II’s Meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi: Jordanian King Abdullah II met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in Cairo to discuss the escalating situation in Gaza. They expressed their opposition to any efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue that would involve displacing Palestinians from their lands.
- Israeli Military Operations in Gaza: Israeli officials, including chief Herzi Halevi, have indicated that the military is close to dismantling Hamas in northern Gaza. However, Halevi stated that the conflict is expected to continue for several more months. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned deepening operations in southern Gaza, particularly in Khan Younis.
- United Nations Report on Displacement in Gaza: The UN reported that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) directed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to move to Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, exacerbating the displacement of 61,000 people who had already fled their homes in the northern region.
- Casualty Figures in Gaza: The GAZA Health Ministry has reported 20,915 deaths and 54,918 injuries in Gaza since Israel initiated its assault following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.
- US Military Action in the Red Sea: The US Army’s Central Command reported that US forces had intercepted multiple attack drones and missiles in the Southern Red Sea, which were fired by the Houthis.
- Israel’s Post-War Planning Discussions in Washington: Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close aide to Netanyahu, met with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss plans for Gaza’s post-war security and governance, as well as transitioning to a less intense phase of the war.
- Egypt and Jordan’s Stance on Palestinian Displacement: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah, following their summit in Cairo, rejected any Israeli attempts to expel Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. They urged the international community to pressure Israel for an immediate ceasefire and to allow sufficient aid into Gaza.
Reuters has the story:
Egypt’s El-Sissi, Jordan’s Abdullah say they would reject any Israeli move to expel Palestinians
Newslooks- Dec 27 (Reuters) –
Jordanian King Abdullah II traveled to Cairo on Wednesday and met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi to discuss the situation in Gaza. In a statement after the meeting, the two leaders denounced ”attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue or to displace the Palestinians from their lands or their internal displacement.”
The warning came as Israeli officials said Tuesday the war is expanding in central and southern Gaza, with chief Herzi Halevi claiming that the military was close to dismantling Hamas in northern Gaza, though he added that the war will go on for “many more months.”
The news comes as the United Nations said that the IDF had ordered tens of thousands of Palestinian residents to head to Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, further displacing 61,000 people already forced to flee their homes in northern Gaza. Heavy Israeli shelling in Khan Younis continued Wednesday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF was “deepening operations in southern Gaza.”
The GAZA Health Ministry said that 20,915 people have been killed and 54,918 wounded in Gaza since Israel launched its assault after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people.
In a post on X on Tuesday, the US Army’s Central Command said that US carriers had “shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26.”
Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close Netanyahu aide, met in Washington with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss plans for post-war security and governance of the Gaza Strip and the transition to a lower intensity phase of war amid international pressure over the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
