Egypt calls for urgent negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, warns of challenges ahead, and announces a ready reconstruction plan amid Israel’s halt of aid to the Strip.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Sunday for the start of negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, predicting that the next phase would be challenging. This comes amid fears of the agreement collapsing after Israel halted the entry of aid into Gaza and shelled various parts of the Gaza Strip.
During a joint press conference in Cairo with the European Union Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, Abdelatty stated that the second phase must begin immediately. He noted that the first phase had ended successfully despite some difficulties.
He added that Egypt, Qatar, and what he described as “friends in the US administration” had managed to overcome these challenges.
Regarding the next phase, Abdelatty said, “We must now move forward with negotiations on the second phase… It will naturally be difficult, but if there is goodwill and political will, it is certainly possible to agree on the second phase and work towards its implementation, leading to the third phase… and ultimately to a sustainable ceasefire.”
He emphasized the need for “faithful and complete implementation” of the ceasefire agreement by all relevant parties.
Abdelatty urged the European Union to exert more pressure on Israel to implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which has been in effect since January 19 of last year.
The Egyptian minister also condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to stop aid from entering Gaza, stating that using aid as a weapon for collective punishment and starvation in the Strip is unacceptable and impermissible.
On another note, the Egyptian Foreign Minister stated that the Gaza reconstruction plan has been completed and will be presented to the emergency Arab summit, scheduled for this Tuesday in Cairo, for approval.
Abdelatty clarified that the summit must first approve the plan before it is presented to any foreign party.
He also mentioned that foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will meet in Saudi Arabia following the emergency Arab summit.
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Four Killed in Gaza
Meanwhile, four Palestinians were reportedly killed and six others injured by Israeli fire in various areas of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, bringing the total number of fatalities since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement with Israel to 116, with over 490 injured.
In a brief statement, the Gaza Ministry of Health said, “Since this morning, Gaza hospitals have received 4 fatalities and 6 injuries due to Israeli occupation attacks in multiple areas across the Strip.”
In a post on Telegram, the Ministry reported that the total number of fatalities since the ceasefire was announced on January 19 of last year has reached 116, with over 490 injuries.
Palestinian media reported that a Palestinian woman was killed and another injured following an Israeli drone strike in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
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Another Palestinian woman was injured after Israeli tanks shelled the Al-Juneina neighborhood east of Rafah city. Several Palestinians were also injured when a residential apartment in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, was targeted.
In the northern Gaza Strip, a medical source stated that two Palestinian youths were killed and another wounded after an Israeli aircraft bombed a group of Palestinians in the Al-Masriyin neighborhood of Beit Hanoun.
Additionally, the Civil Defense in Gaza announced Israeli artillery shelling east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
(PC, AJA, Egyptian Media)
