• Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that humanitarian aid will be provided to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing
• Shoukry said the “common goal of all Arab countries” is to work in full coordination with the PA to establish an independent Palestinian state

Mohammed Abu Zaid

CAIRO: Gaza reconstruction projects undertaken by Egypt will be carried out in full coordination with the Palestinian Authority (PA), Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said.

During a Monday meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to discuss a revival of the peace process, Shoukry said that humanitarian aid will be provided to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.

In a joint press conference in Ramallah with Hussein Al-Sheikh, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, Shoukry said the “common goal of all Arab countries” is to work in full coordination with the PA to establish an independent Palestinian state based on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Shoukry highlighted the need to find “an appropriate political horizon” to reach the establishment of the Palestinian state, adding that the “vicious cycles of violence, escalation and the continuation of the occupation” “do not bode well for stability and security,” not only for Palestine, but for the entire region.

Ahmed Hafez, spokesman for Egypt’s foreign ministry, said that Shoukry’s visit was in line with Egyptian plans to progress from the cease-fire toward long-term ambitions for peace.

Shoukry said Egypt’s top priority is to stabilize the situation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

Before visiting Ramallah, Shoukry held a press conference in Amman with Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, where he said that Cairo was coordinating with Amman to preserve the rights of the Palestinian people, stressing the need to work toward a two-state solution.

He added that the confrontation between Hamas and Israel caused “immense suffering,” urging the “preservation of the identity of Jerusalem” and prevention of repeated attacks on the city.

Shoukry said that events in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood — where Israel is trying to evict Muslim families to make way for settlers — are contrary to international law, and that Israeli actions “led to escalation.”

The events necessitate further cooperation between Egypt and Jordan to “preserve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” Shoukry said.