Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aati reasserted the urgent need to ensure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and full implementation of all commitments under the second phase of the US administration’s plan.
This reassertion was made during the minister’s meeting on Tuesday with Christophe Bigot, the European Union’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process (EUSR).
Discussions during the meeting focused on the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories amid ongoing regional escalation and military tensions, and their implications for stability in the Middle East. Minister Abdel-Aati highlighted that these measures are essential to lay the groundwork for early recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Talks also addressed arrangements to enable the National Committee for Gaza Management to carry out its duties from within the Gaza Strip, with both sides stressing the need for international support to strengthen the committee’s capacity and facilitate the rapid deployment of an international stabilisation force. Plans were discussed to train Palestinian police personnel in Egypt ahead of their deployment in Gaza to support security, stability, and the enforcement of the rule of law. The minister reaffirmed the importance of keeping the Rafah crossing open in both directions and ensuring uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The two sides also probed developments in the West Bank, where Minister Abdel-Aati condemned the accelerated pace of settlement activity, attempts to impose new realities on the ground, Israeli restrictions and repeated raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Israeli Knesset’s approval of a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners. He warned that these actions pose serious risks to prospects for de-escalation and regional stability.
The meeting concluded with a joint emphasis on the importance of continued Egyptian-European coordination to advance the political process and achieve a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
