Gaza Summit held in Cairo begins with attendance of UN Secretary-General Guterres
The Gaza Summit, held in Cairo, Egypt, has begun. Turkey, represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, is among the 21 countries participating in the summit. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and UN Secretary-General Guterres are also in attendance. During his speech at the summit, Minister Fidan drew attention to the thousands of civilians killed and warned that if Israel continued its attacks, global peace would be threatened.
The Gaza Summit aims to take initiative in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine and to explore the grounds for a humanitarian ceasefire and the situation of possible humanitarian aid. The summit convened in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
While there were reports in the Egyptian media that Turkish President Erdoğan might attend the summit, Turkey is represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The summit, with high-level participation from 21 countries, also included the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
UN CALLS FOR HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE
UN Secretary-General Guterres, speaking at the opening of the summit, called for a “humanitarian ceasefire.”
Guterres stated that no justification can be found for Hamas’ attacks and that these attacks could never justify “collective punishment” against the Palestinian people.
He emphasized the need to adhere to the Geneva Conventions, called for immediate assistance to Gaza, and the unconditional release of hostages.
Guterres emphasized that a two-state solution was the only hope for peace and said, “It is time to take action. It is time to end this dreadful nightmare.”
SISI: AGREEMENT WITH BIDEN TO KEEP BORDER CROSSING OPEN
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who hosted the summit, stated that they had reached an agreement with U.S. President Joe Biden on ensuring the sustainable passage through the Rafah Border Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and the delivery of aid.
