The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and France held a joint phone call with US President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as stated by the Egyptian presidency. The call took place after a trilateral summit in Cairo, where the leaders underlined the urgent need to halt hostilities, protect civilians, and ensure humanitarian aid access.
During the call, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the importance of guaranteeing a ceasefire in Gaza. They stressed the immediate resumption of full humanitarian aid access and the swift release of all hostages and detainees. These steps are seen as essential to alleviating the escalating humanitarian crisis and paving the way toward peace and stability in the region.
At the conclusion of the trilateral summit in Cairo, the leaders issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian assistance to Gaza. They also affirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire agreement signed on 19 January, which mandates the release of hostages and detainees while ensuring civilian protection. The leaders underscored that the governance and security of Gaza and Palestinian territories must remain under the Palestinian Authority’s management, with robust regional and international support.
In addition, the leaders reiterated their backing for the Gaza reconstruction plan, initially adopted during the Arab Summit in Cairo on March 4 and later endorsed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 7 March. The plan emphasizes security, governance, and rebuilding efforts, and a reconstruction conference is set to be held in Cairo soon to gather international support for the reconstruction process.
The joint statement also called for an end to unilateral actions that undermine the prospects of a two-state solution and exacerbate tensions in the region. The leaders emphasized the importance of respecting the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites and rejected any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians or annex Palestinian land, which they deemed both illegal and unacceptable.
On the ground, the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen as Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza escalate. In retaliation, Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli cities, including Ashdod. The Israeli military responded by issuing evacuation orders for several Palestinian neighborhoods in Gaza, anticipating a potential ground invasion.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 57 Palestinians were killed and 137 injured within a 24-hour period. Since 18 March, the death toll has reached 1,391, with over 3,400 injuries. As of the latest reports, the total death toll in Gaza since the conflict began has surpassed 50,000, with over 115,000 injured, leading human rights organizations to condemn the violence as a campaign of genocide.
The situation has also sparked controversy, particularly following remarks by US National Security Council spokesperson Bryan Hughes, who expressed understanding for Israeli military actions that resulted in the deaths of Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defense paramedics. Hamas condemned these remarks as “grotesque” and rejected Hughes’s claims that ambulances were being used for military purposes as “baseless lies.”
The targeting of journalists and humanitarian workers has raised further international concerns, with Germany’s Foreign Ministry calling for an investigation into the deaths of 14 paramedics in Rafah, following Israeli airstrikes on their ambulances.
Despite the ongoing violence, Egypt, Jordan, France, and the US continue to coordinate efforts aimed at securing an immediate ceasefire, alleviating the humanitarian crisis, and ensuring Gaza’s reconstruction. The leaders’ call for a ceasefire, along with their support for Gaza’s recovery, highlights the growing international consensus on the need to address the humanitarian disaster while working toward a lasting peace. The goal is to create a stable environment in which the Palestinian Authority can govern and the people of Gaza can begin to rebuild their lives.
