The Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, and France called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. They also called for the full implementation of Security Council Resolutions 2721, 2720, and 2728, including facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

In a joint statement following the talks session held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, today, Saturday, to discuss the Palestinian issue and the situation in Gaza, they warned of the horrific repercussions of the humanitarian situation, famine and the collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip, and affirmed their rejection of any attempts at displacement and forced displacement of the Palestinian people, which are considered unlawful under international law.

They called for the implementation of the temporary measures approved by the International Court of Justice on January 26 and March 28, and called for the rapid, safe, unhindered and intensive implementation of humanitarian aid directly to the civilian population in need inside and throughout the Gaza Strip. They called for Israel removes all obstacles, allows and facilitates the use of all land crossings and increases its capabilities with the aim of increasing the flow of humanitarian aid in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.

They commended the indispensable efforts of the United Nations and its agencies, including UNRWA, which plays a crucial role in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, and reaffirmed the importance of respecting and protecting all humanitarian workers and ensuring their access and freedom. It transports them to and throughout Gaza, including the northern part of it.

The ministers also opposed any military attack on Rafah, which is home to 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, as any attack on Rafah would lead to massive loss of life and further aggravate the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

They called for maintaining the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem without change, including the role of the Jordanian Jerusalem Endowments Department under Hashemite guardianship, and expressed deep concern about the increasing pressures against the Christian and Muslim communities in Jerusalem.

They stressed the inevitability of implementing the two-state solution on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with the aim of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.

They stressed the need for the Security Council to address the situation on the ground, in addition to the political aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which France is committed to, as a permanent member of the Council. They condemned all violations and abuses of international law and international humanitarian law.

They stressed the importance of Egypt's role in efforts aimed at alleviating the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza, as well as in negotiations related to issues of ceasefire, prisoners and detainees.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said, “We emphasized the importance of achieving an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, affirmed the refusal to displace the Palestinian people from their lands, and discussed the danger of carrying out any military operation in the city of Rafah, which is crowded with civilians.”

In turn, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi said: “We are still facing Israeli rejection that leads to more suffering, and there is consensus on basic issues related to the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the entry of aid,” noting that “Israel has used starvation as a weapon against the Palestinian people, and must be held accountable for its actions.” What it is doing in the Gaza Strip, and the international community must take action to stop its violations.”

Al-Safadi stressed the necessity of stopping the supply of weapons to Israel, and the necessity of imposing sanctions on the Israeli government if it continues to defy the will of the international community, explaining that the French position has evolved significantly in calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

For his part, French Foreign Minister Stephane Ségornet said, “We came to Cairo to work together to reach a ceasefire and find a political solution in Gaza,” adding that there are joint European-Arab efforts to get out of the crisis in Gaza.

The French Minister stressed that we are against any military action in the city of Rafah, and the time has come to lay the foundations for a lasting peace in the Middle East that enjoys international consensus, noting that we are consulting on a French draft resolution for the Security Council on the political track in the Middle East, stressing that “our goal is to achieve peace in The Middle East and we can achieve consensus on our initiative as a permanent member of the Security Council.”