Arab News

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday that they rejected any Israeli move to expel Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, state media reported.

During a meeting in Cairo, the two sides “reiterated their complete rejection of all attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue and forcibly displace Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” a statement on the Jordanian Petra news agency said.

The king reaffirmed his country’s support for Egypt’s firm position against any attempts to displace Gazans.

King Abdullah and El Sisi stressed the need “for the whole world to push towards an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and the delivery of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to alleviate the tragic situation and the suffering of Gazans,” Petra said, citing a royal court statement.

His Majesty King Abdullah II and #Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, during a meeting in Cairo, stress their complete rejection of all attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue and forcibly displace Palestinians in the West Bank and #Gaza#Jordan pic.twitter.com/GAk952237G

— RHC (@RHCJO) December 27, 2023

The two leaders said that the international community “shoulders an immense political and ethical responsibility” toward implementing UN resolutions to “maintain the integrity of these international entities.”

They also stressed the need to counter any attempts to reoccupy parts of Gaza, build buffer zones in the besieged Palestinian enclave or separate it from the West Bank.

Israel intensified its land, air and sea raids on the central and southern Gaza Strip this week, telling civilians to leave the two areas, though many said there were no safe places left to go.

The Gaza Health Ministry said that Israeli forces had killed 195 Palestinians and wounded 325 in the past 24 hours, bringing the recorded death toll to 21,110, with 55,243 wounded in Israeli attacks in the coastal Palestinian territory since the assault began on Oct. 7 following a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel. Almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have been driven from their homes, many several times.

The Jordanian monarch and the Egyptian president warned against the continuation of the war on Gaza, which “could plunge the entire region into a catastrophe whose price everyone will pay,” stressing the need to prevent spillover of the conflict that threatens regional and international security.

King Abdullah said that the continued expansion of Israeli operations in southern Gaza will have catastrophic humanitarian and security repercussions, especially in light of the dangerous humanitarian situation.

He warned against Israeli escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, particularly extremist settler violence against the Palestinians, which “could lead to an explosion of the situation.”

The two leaders agreed to maintain close coordination between their two countries and also called for creating a political horizon to achieve just and comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, per international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The king said that a two-state solution is key to regional security and is the only way to reach peace.

The meeting, which was held at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, was attended by the foreign ministers and heads of intelligence from both countries.