Emmanuel Macron, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and King Abdullah seek end to “the catastrophic human suffering” and a 2-state solution
France, Egypt and Jordan late Monday jointly demanded a “permanent” and “unconditional” cease-fire in Gaza and for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian crisis.
In a joint Le Monde opinion piece, French President Emmanuel Macron, his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II call for an end to “the war in Gaza and the catastrophic human suffering it causes.”
“Faced with the intolerable number of victims, we, the heads of state of Egypt, France and Jordan, demand the immediate and unconditional implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728,” the three heads of state wrote. That was a reference to the U.N. resolution adopted last month demanding a cease-fire during the month of Ramadan and that Hamas release all Israeli hostages.
The article called for a two-state solution as “the only credible option to guarantee peace and security for all and ensure that neither Israelis nor Palestinians have to relive the horrors that have struck them” since Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, when militants brutally killed 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds hostage.
The three leaders also warned of “dangerous consequences” if Israel commits to its planned offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where over a million Palestinians are sheltering from Israeli bombardment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade the city, claiming it is Hamas’ last stronghold, and on Monday said “there is a date” for the offensive, which he didn’t reveal. Israel’s key ally, the United States, has urged Israel to reconsider.
The fresh calls for a cease-fire come as the latest round of talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo remained deadlocked on Monday. A Hamas official told Reuters an Israeli peace proposal contained “nothing new.”
Source: Politico
