Egyptian FM, Fatah official discuss situation in Gaza, West Bank

CAIRO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met Thursday in Cairo with Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Central Committee of the Palestinian Fatah movement, where they discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's full support for the unity of Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank, stressing the need for the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights, "foremost of which is their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state along the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

He briefed Rajoub on the latest progress in the negotiations to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and Egypt's efforts to secure urgent humanitarian aid access to the enclave.

The Egyptian minister spoke of his country's preparations to host an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, in coordination with the Palestinian government and the United Nations, once a ceasefire is reached.

He also underlined "the responsibility of the international community to halt the catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and to put an end to the ongoing Israeli aggression."

For his part, the Palestinian official presented his assessment of the developments in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as his evaluation of the chances and means for implementing the two-state solution, according to the statement.

Rajoub also expressed appreciation for Egypt's continuous support of the Palestinian people on all levels, particularly its mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery to the enclave.

The meeting came as Egypt is intensifying consultations with regional and international partners to resolve the crisis in Gaza and push for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On July 9-10, the Egyptian foreign minister held phone talks with his counterparts from Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Oman, Kuwait, and Morocco to address the situation in Gaza.

The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has resulted in more than 57,600 Palestinian deaths and over 137,400 injuries, according to Gaza's health authorities. Enditem