The Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian ministers of foreign affairs met in Cairo Saturday in light of the of the tripartite coordination regarding the Palestinian issue and boosting the peace process, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Ahmed Abou Zaid said in a statement.
Abou Zaid added that the meeting is the second of its kind, after the one held in 14 May in Amman. He pointed out that the aim of the meeting is for the three countries to consult one another to boost the Palestinian issue, exchange points of views, and coordinate positions before the high-level meeting of the UN.
The meeting comes in the context of the three countries’ keenness on evaluating the status quo in the Palestinian territories following the latest Israeli escalation in Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities. The meeting also aims to review the last security and political updates, as the three countries are the main ones involved in coordinating efforts to boosting the Palestinian issue, according to a statement from the ministry.
The meeting also comes in light of coordinations and consultations before the US delegation’s upcoming visit to the region. The delegation will include the US envoy for the peace process, Jason Greenblatt; the US president’s senior consultant, Jared Kushner; and the US deputy national security adviser, Dina Powell, the statement read.
In June, Israeli forces installed new security cameras at the entrance to Jerusalem’s holy sites, as they said they were considering them as alternatives to the metal detectors, raising tensions and resulting in vast demonstrations.
Early in August, thousands of Palestinians of all ages have re-entered Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, after a week of tensions following the Israeli measures of putting metal detector gates at the Muslim-administered Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
The Israeli government announced, too, the removal of metal detector gates, which had been placed at the entrance of the compound, after Palestinian resistance of the Israeli measures taken and vast protests held by hundreds of Palestinians.
During the tensions, Egypt called on Israel to immediately stop violence against Palestinians in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the MFA said it was extremely concerned with Israeli violence and escalation against the Palestinian people.
Egypt further warned that the current situation would negatively impact the continuation of negotiations between the two sides, which targets a final and fair solution to the Palestinian cause.
On Monday, Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing, allowing Palestinian pilgrims to cross to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. The crossing is expected to remain open until Thursday.
Lately, several delegations belonging to Palestinian movements—such as Hamas, Fatah, and Al-Jihad—visited Egypt and held meetings with Egyptian officials from the army and the general intelligence.
Moreover, in 30 April, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met with president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, discussing ways to revive the peace process in order to reach a two-state solution. The meeting comes as part of ongoing coordination efforts regarding latest developments in the Palestinian issue.
The Palestinian-Israeli negotiations were stopped in April 2014 after Israel had refused to stop the building of settlements, committing to a two-state solution within the borders of June 1967, and releasing Palestinian prisoners.
