Hani El Gamal: The tripartite summit between Egypt, Jordan, and France is an important step toward clarifying ambiguities in the Egyptian-Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.

Abdul Maarouf: These summits will not achieve their desired results, Netanyahu will not stop his plans, and Israel's aggressive fire is now threatening the countries of the region.

Dr. Hassan Marhej: The actual results of the summit remain hostage to many factors, including the reactions of the concerned parties and the international community.

Imad Abu Awad: The reasons for the continuation of the war remain, with no indications of a declared end, especially from within Israel.

Dr. Munther Hawarat: The summit is an attempt to break through the Israeli-American position, which insists on continuing negotiations under pressure and siege.

While US President Donald Trump was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he had hastily summoned to the White House, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II, and French President Emmanuel Macron held a trilateral summit in Cairo on Monday, April 7, where the three leaders discussed the dire situation in Gaza.

Is there a link between Trump's urgent meeting with Netanyahu at the White House and the tripartite summit in Egypt? Can the summit influence developments on the ground, particularly in halting the war of extermination and allowing humanitarian aid into the Strip? This is especially true given the occupying state's persistence in its aggression and the war of extermination it is waging against defenseless civilians in the stricken Gaza Strip, benefiting from the unlimited support provided by the United States and its President, Donald Trump.

Political writers and analysts who spoke to Al-Quds said that the summit's actual outcomes remain contingent on numerous factors, including the reactions of the relevant parties and the international community. They noted that the reasons for the continuation of the war remain unchanged, with no clear indications of an end, particularly from within Israel.

Some analysts viewed the summit as an attempt to break the Israeli-American position, which insists on continuing negotiations under pressure and blockade. They noted that it is an important step toward clarifying ambiguities in the Egyptian-Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.

It is noteworthy that, in the final statement of the trilateral summit, the three leaders called for an immediate return to the ceasefire to protect Palestinians and ensure their immediate and full receipt of emergency humanitarian assistance. They also called for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed on January 19, which stipulated the release of all hostages and detainees and the guarantee of everyone's security. The leaders emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and humanitarian aid workers, and ensuring full access to aid—obligations that must be fulfilled under international law and international humanitarian law.

The three leaders expressed their grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and called for an end to all unilateral measures that undermine the viability of a two-state solution and increase tensions. They also stressed the need to respect the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

The leaders expressed their rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their land and any attempt to annex Palestinian territories. They emphasized the need for international support for the Gaza Reconstruction Plan, adopted by the Arab Summit held in Cairo on March 4 and adopted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on March 7. They discussed mechanisms for its effective implementation with regard to security and governance.

Who will be entrusted with managing the sector?

Egyptian political analyst Hani El-Gamal said that the tripartite Cairo summit between Egypt, Jordan, and France represents an important step toward clarifying some of the ambiguities in the Egyptian-Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, most notably the entity that will be entrusted with administering the Gaza Strip after the cessation of military operations.

Al-Jamal pointed out that among the questions being raised are: Will the authority in Gaza be the same as the authority in the West Bank? Or is there a trend toward a geographical distribution of control among the factions, whether the Palestinian Authority or Hamas? According to Al-Jamal, the summit also seeks to clarify the mechanism for using aid: Will it be administered by an independent committee composed of Egypt and some Arab and European countries, under UN auspices, or will it be in the hands of the Palestinian Authority, through the "community support" committee proposed by Egypt, which includes a group of Palestinian technocrats to manage the Strip for a transitional period of six months, before handing it over to the Palestinian Authority?

He added that Macron's visit to Egypt, specifically to the Arish area, was intended to address Israel's intransigence regarding the entry of humanitarian aid. He noted that this could represent a French move in favor of the Palestinian and Arab sides, particularly in pressuring Israel, and perhaps also through communication channels with the United States.

France supplies arms to Israel

Al-Jamal believed that this step could translate into concrete actions, such as threatening to halt the supply of certain types of weapons to Israel, particularly those used against unarmed civilians.

He said: "The summit may represent a shift in the French position toward recognizing a Palestinian state, following Spain's example, or at least a reconsideration of European positions involved in supporting Israel, especially Hungary, which recently hosted Netanyahu, in defiance of international resolutions issued against him."

He continued: The summit reveals ambiguous European positions and may represent an opportunity to capitalize on the existing rift between Europe and the United States, whether regarding tariffs or disagreements over the Russia-Ukraine war.

He pointed out that this Arab-European rapprochement could contribute to supporting the Palestinian cause, and that the summit coincides with an anticipated meeting between Netanyahu and Trump in the United States, potentially placing the Palestinian issue at the forefront of the meeting's agenda.

He believed that Trump might attempt to impose a timeframe for achieving Israel's goals, including reaching humanitarian negotiations leading to the release of hostages, particularly those holding American citizenship.

The absence of the Palestinian side from the summit

Regarding the Palestinian side's absence from the summit, Al-Jamal explained that the dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and the lack of a unified vision representing the Palestinians, was what prevented their participation. Although the Palestinian Authority is the legitimate representative, it has no actual presence in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, which is classified by the European Union as a terrorist organization. This makes a meeting with the French president impossible.

"Egypt and Jordan play the role of mediator and spokesperson for the Palestinian cause, given their geographic and political locations," Al-Jamal said. "Egypt also plays the role of the main mediator in negotiations between Hamas and Israel."

Al-Jamal concluded his statement by pointing out that the goal of all these moves is to reach a Palestinian consensus on how to govern the Gaza Strip on the "day after," whether by disarming Hamas or integrating it under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority, with the political and military leadership under the banner of Fatah and the PLO. This could constitute the only legitimate cover for Hamas's continued presence in Gaza, whether through a consensus figure or by avoiding the expulsion of its leaders from the Strip, as Israel and the United States desire, and perhaps even targeting them in the countries to which they would head.

Summits and appeals did not succeed in stopping the war

For his part, writer and political analyst Abdul Maarouf said that this is not the first time that international or regional conferences have been held to find just solutions to the Palestinian issue in general, and to halt the war of extermination waged by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip since October 8, 2023. Appeals have also been made over these long months, and statements have been issued condemning the horror of the Israeli aggression against the people, trees, and stones of the Strip.

He added: "All the conferences and appeals launched from around the world, and the cries of the children of the Gaza Strip, did not deter Benjamin Netanyahu's government, nor did they push him to stop the war that has claimed tens of thousands of victims, hundreds of thousands of wounded, and millions displaced. The Israeli government has continued its massacres, flouting all international laws, resolutions, and charters."

Marouf stressed that the Netanyahu government is determined to continue its aggression, war, and massacres in the Gaza Strip until it achieves its declared and undeclared goals, beginning with the destruction of life in the Strip and the displacement or dispersal of its population across the world.

He explained that in order to achieve these illegitimate, aggressive goals, the Netanyahu government did not just expand the war of extermination and commit massacres with the most heinous machines of death and destruction, but rather went further, as it confirmed that it would work to implement a plan to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip to other Arab countries, foremost among them the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In doing so, Netanyahu once again struck at the agreements signed with the Egyptian and Jordanian sides, which poses a grave danger not only to the Palestinians, but also to the neighboring countries. This is what aroused the anger and concern of the official authorities in Cairo and Amman, first and foremost, because of what this displacement to their lands represents, and the resulting security, social and economic crises.

Countries concerned with the risks of Palestinian displacement

Marouf pointed out that this is what prompted Egypt to hold an emergency Arab summit recently, and the day before yesterday to convene a meeting including Jordan and France. Jordan is one of the countries concerned with the risks of Palestinian displacement, and therefore is interested in meetings and conferences that address this complex issue.

He added, "Because the call to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip came as a decision by the Netanyahu government following the directives announced by US President Donald Trump to wipe out and crush the Gaza Strip, and in conjunction with these American directives, Egypt and Jordan turned to another international sponsor, namely France."

Marouf asked: Is France capable of putting an end to Israel's war of extermination against the Gaza Strip? Will the French-Egyptian-Jordanian summit prevent Netanyahu and his successor, Trump, from displacing the population of the Strip?

He replied: Of course not. If that were effective, the war of extermination and displacement would not have continued for all these months without a real deterrent, but rather with suspicious Arab and international silence.

All countries in the region are in Israel's circle of fire.

Marouf believes that Netanyahu's announcement this time, and Trump's subsequent announcement, touched on other countries and the sovereignty of Arab states that had believed they were immune from Netanyahu's fire. However, after the announcement of a plan to displace the people of the Gaza Strip to Egypt or Jordan, everyone in the axis countries became subject to Tel Aviv's infernal schemes.

Marouf predicted that these summits would not achieve their desired results, and that Netanyahu, with Trump's support, would not stop pursuing his now-well-known schemes, which, as a result, have become a threat to the security of the region's countries, peoples, and regimes. This has prompted the Israeli government to break its silence and hold conferences in the hope of salvaging what can be salvaged from the brutality of the aggression and the Trump-Netanyahu schemes.

Marouf believes that the absence of the Palestinian Authority from this tripartite summit is unfortunately due to the Authority being outside the Gaza Strip's throes, and Hamas, which has gambled with its future and the future of the entire Palestinian cause, has not been able to control the Palestinian arena under its banner. Hamas has been the sole authority in deciding war and negotiations, which has weakened the Palestinian Authority. For more than a year and a half, it has been unable to stop the war of extermination, which has made the Palestinian Authority's role secondary to Hamas's "bravado" and the aggression and massacres of Benjamin Netanyahu, supported by Donald Trump.

The holding of the summit is linked to the developments of the war on Gaza.

For his part, Middle East expert Dr. Hassan Marhej said that the timing of the Egyptian-French-Jordanian summit in Cairo can be placed within the context of the complex circumstances surrounding the situation in Gaza. He pointed out that this summit confirms the urgent need for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the fear of escalating regional developments in light of the Yemeni player's involvement in the developments, in addition to American intentions to target Iran and its nuclear program. Consequently, there are developments sweeping the region, which portends an expansion of the circle of fire regionally.

Marhej expected that this summit would address several main topics, including:

1. Ceasefire: Discussions addressed ways to achieve a ceasefire between the conflicting parties. Leaders may seek to pressure all parties to commit to a cessation of hostilities, but achieving a real breakthrough in this area depends on the willingness of the concerned parties to accept peace processes, particularly the Israeli side and the US administration behind it.

2. Humanitarian aid: The summit likely discussed providing humanitarian aid to affected civilians in Gaza, where many are suffering from a severe shortage of basic necessities, especially in light of the resumption of Israeli bombing, which is the most urgent matter at this time.

3. Diplomatic efforts: The summit may seek to enhance regional and international diplomatic efforts to comprehensively resolve the conflict and open channels for dialogue between the concerned parties.

The absence of the Palestinian side is a form of exclusion.

Regarding the absence of the Palestinian side from the summit, Marhej pointed out that this has important implications:

* Political exclusion: The absence of Palestinians from the summit reflects a sense of exclusion from decisions affecting their fate, which could exacerbate frustration and a loss of confidence in international initiatives.

* Leadership challenges: This may also point to internal challenges within the Palestinian leadership, as their absence could be seen as a sign of lack of coordination or division among the various factions.

* Impact on credibility: The absence of Palestinians may affect the credibility of the summit's outcomes, as any solutions or decisions may be deemed incomprehensive if the Palestinian side is not included in the talks.

Marhej concluded his statement to Al-Quds by saying, "In general, the actual results of the summit remain subject to many factors, including the reactions of the relevant parties and the international community."

Growing regional and international activity

Political analyst Imad Abu Awad believes that the tripartite summit in Cairo comes amid growing regional and international pressure to deliver humanitarian aid and restore a degree of calm, as a prelude to implementing a political plan aimed at achieving strategic objectives.

He pointed out that these goals, for example, include bringing the war to an end, but that in parallel with or through this, efforts are being made to politically eliminate Hamas's presence in the Gaza Strip and ensure sustainable calm in the region.

Abu Awad emphasized that US President Donald Trump was neither absent nor detached from the summit's atmosphere, especially since he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an important part of the process.

Just "anesthetic needles"

He added: "We are facing an attempt to find a formula for calm, but this formula, in my opinion, will not be able to achieve a sustainable state of calm. Rather, it is merely a "numbing needle" and a patchwork, nothing more."

He said the reasons for the continuation of the war remain, with no indications of an announced end, especially from within Israel.

He emphasized that Israel has no problem accepting a temporary humanitarian truce, which may be sponsored by a prisoner exchange or an attempt to change the political reality in the Gaza Strip. However, none of this will be achieved through an Israeli declaration of an end to the war; Israel will not pursue this path.

As for the Palestinian absence from the summit, Abu Awad believes it reflects an Arab and international consensus that the internal Palestinian situation has produced a leadership lacking a vision or strategy. Therefore, any decisions taken regionally or internationally will be accepted by a leadership that has no control over its own affairs.

An important summit at the regional and Palestinian levels

For his part, Jordanian political writer Dr. Munther Hawarat emphasized the importance of the summit on both the regional and Palestinian levels, particularly with regard to Gaza.

He said the summit addressed the ceasefire and the possibility of enforcing it so that Palestinians can receive humanitarian aid, in addition to rejecting the displacement of Palestinians, condemning the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and the importance of rebuilding the Gaza Strip.

Dialogues sees this summit as an attempt to breach the Israeli-American position, which insists on continuing negotiations under pressure and siege.

He questioned whether the summit would be successful, noting that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is expected to exercise and leverage this influence, both at the Security Council level and at the regional level.

He explained that Israel is committed to its position, clearly supported by the United States, and will not give in easily unless it receives strong concessions. No real breakthrough will be achieved on the ceasefire issue.

He said: "This reflects Israel's commitment to its strategy toward Gaza and Palestine, which consists of destroying and dismantling Hamas, in addition to seeking the release of prisoners. However, it appears that the strategic plan goes beyond this, to include the displacement of Palestinians as well."

Hawarat emphasized that the Palestinians' absence from the summit reflects the complexity of the Palestinian arena, and that this absence may have been intentional, to avoid creating tensions between the parties and to ensure that matters proceed more smoothly.