Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdel-Aati took part on Wednesday in the opening session of the Arab Ministerial Committee on international action to confront Israel’s illegal policies and measures in occupied Jerusalem.
The meeting, held in the Jordanian capital, was also attended by ministers and representatives from Türkiye, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Addressing the session, Minister Abdel-Aati said the Palestinian cause is at a critical juncture amid continued violations of holy sites, attempts to alter the historical and legal status of Jerusalem, increasing incursions by extremist settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque and restrictions on freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians.
He reaffirmed Egypt’s firm rejection of all measures aimed at changing the identity and character of occupied Jerusalem.
He reiterated Cairo’s support for the historic Hashemite custodianship over the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The minister also warned that Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence threaten the territorial unity of the Palestinian territories and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
Abdel-Aati said the region faces a choice between pursuing peace or sliding into further violence and instability.
He reviewed Egypt’s efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and support the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s comprehensive peace plan.
He also stressed the importance of building on recent progress towards Palestinian national consensus on limiting weapons alongside an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The foreign minister renewed Egypt’s categorical rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, under any pretext, as well as any unilateral annexation measures in the West Bank.
He called for intensified international efforts to halt the current deterioration and establish an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with geographic continuity between the West Bank and Gaza.
Abdel-Aati also reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the Palestinian Authority’s reform efforts and its central role in any political process aimed at ending the occupation and achieving Palestinian statehood.
