Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and Palestinian Authority meet to discuss situation in Gaza

A senior Egyptian official stated that Egypt and Jordan are working to garner support for a ceasefire in Gaza and exert pressure to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

This effort comes during a meeting between the leaders of both countries and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Aqaba on Wednesday.

The Egyptian official added that Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also emphasized their opposition to any displacement of Palestinians from their lands.

Egypt warns against the escalation of this danger due to the Israeli comprehensive war against the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), pushing most of Gaza's population to head south towards the Egyptian border.

Jordan is concerned about the increasing instability and attacks on Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which shares borders with Jordan.

A Jordanian official stated that Arabs are telling the Americans that the priority now is to reach a ceasefire and pressure Israel to allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza and alleviate congestion near Rafah. This raises concerns for both Egyptians and Jordanians.

Before the Aqaba summit, Abbas met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting the region on a tour expected to conclude in Egypt, pressing Israeli leaders to pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Egypt, along with Qatar, separately attempts to mediate between Israel and Hamas for new ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages taken during its surprise attack on October 7.

This mediation paused but resumed after the killing of Hamas' political bureau deputy head, Saleh al-Arouri, in Beirut last week.

Egyptian security sources reported that an Israeli delegation visited Egypt on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of a long-term ceasefire in exchange for releasing hostages.

In addition, sources expect the Aqaba summit to address the situation in Gaza during and after the war, including foreign funding for the reconstruction of the devastated region and the mechanism for holding elections within six months of a ceasefire agreement.

Reuters