Arab nations reject Palestinian displacement, seek collaboration with US to achieve two-state solution

CAIRO – 1 February 2025: Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as the Arab League and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) have expressed rejection to the displacement of Palestinian people from their lands “under any circumstances or justifications.”

The foreign ministers of the five Arab nations met in Cairo on Saturday along with Hussein El Sheikh, Secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, and Ahmed Abul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and affirm support to the Palestinian cause.

In a joint statement following their meeting, the seven parties expressed ongoing full support for the resilience of the Palestinian people on their land, adhering to their legitimate rights in accordance with international law.

 

They reaffirmed “rejection of any violation of those inalienable rights, whether through settlement activities, expulsion and demolition of homes, annexation of land, or by displacing the owners through forced displacement or encouraging the transfer or uprooting of Palestinians from their land in any form or under any circumstances or justifications.”

The participants warned that such actions threaten stability and risk further extending the conflict in the region, undermining opportunities for peace and coexistence among its peoples.

COLLABORATING WITH US

They said they look forward to working with the US administration of Donald Trump to achieve comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution, while working to free the region from conflicts.

Sisi and Trump highlighted the significance of continuing the implementation of the first and second phases of the ceasefire, which was brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.#Egypt #News #Breaking | #مصر #عاجل #السيسي #ترامبhttps://t.co/a1f61w7H0o

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 1, 2025

Welcoming the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US, the seven parties underlined the important and appreciated role by the US in reaching this agreement.

They affirmed support for the efforts made by the three mediators to ensure the implementation all stages and provisions of the ceasefire agreement, leading to complete calm.

The participants stressed the importance of sustaining the ceasefire, in a way that ensures the access of humanitarian support to all parts of the Gaza Strip.

They emphasized the removal of all obstacles to the entry of all humanitarian and shelter aid and recovery and rehabilitation requirements, in an appropriate and safe manner.

The seven parties highlighted the necessity of the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, expressing categorical rejection of any attempts to divide the Gaza Strip.

 

They underlined working to enable the Palestinian Authority to assume its duties in the Gaza Strip as part of the occupied Palestinian territory, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

This would allow the international community to address the humanitarian disaster that the Strip has been exposed to due to the Israeli aggression, they stated.

Expressing support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), they highlighted the pivotal, indispensable and irreplaceable role of the agency, categorically rejecting any attempts to bypass it or limit its role.

The participants underscored the urgent need for the international community to collaborate on a comprehensive reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip.

They emphasized that this initiative should be implemented as soon as possible to ensure that Palestinians remain steadfast on their land, in light of the adherence demonstrated by the Palestinian people to their territory.

 

This effort aims to enhance the daily lives of those living in the Strip and to effectively address the challenges of internal displacement until the reconstruction process is fully realized, they added.

The participants warmly welcomed Egypt's plan, in partnership with the United Nations, to host an international conference focused on the reconstruction of Gaza.

They called on the international community and donors to contribute generously to this vital initiative.

Furthermore, the participants appealed to the international community, particularly regional powers and the UN Security Council, to take decisive action in implementing the two-state solution.

They highlighted the importance of addressing the root causes of tension in the Middle East through a fair resolution of the Palestinian cause.

This includes establishing a Palestinian state encompassing its entire national territory and ensuring the unity of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in line with international legitimacy resolutions and the borders of 4 June 1967.

They expressed strong support for the efforts of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

They called for active participation in the upcoming international conference to settle the Palestinian cause and implement the two-state solution co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, scheduled for June 2025.