Egypt affirms support for expanding recognition of Palestinian state
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Egyptian FM Badr Abdelatty urges swift international recognition of the state of Palestine and welcomes the UK's readiness to act.
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Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attends an Arab officials' meeting in Riyadh on January 12, 2025 (AFP)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed the importance of building on the momentum from the recent high-level international conference on resolving the Palestinian cause peacefully and implementing the "two-state" solution, urging accelerated efforts to secure international recognition for the State of Palestine.
The minister delivered these statements while participating in a number of high-level bilateral discussions conducted alongside the conference proceedings at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Abdelatty emphasized that recognizing the state of Palestine is a crucial step toward safeguarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with occupied "East al-Quds|" as its capital.
Abdelatty praises UK plan to recognize Palestinian state
Additionally, the Egyptian foreign minister praised the recent statement by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding his government's readiness to recognize the state of Palestine, viewing it as a positive step toward achieving a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian issue.
In a Wednesday statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry characterized this decision as a historic development that aligns with and reinforces ongoing international endeavors aimed at realizing the establishment of an independent and geographically connected Palestinian state.
The statement further underscored that implementing the "two-state" solution is fundamental to achieving sustainable and equitable peace in the region. Abdelatty stressed that it would realize the Palestinian people's inalienable rights, particularly self-determination and sovereignty, as guaranteed under international law and affirmed by pertinent UN Security Council resolutions.
The statement called upon all nations that have not yet recognized Palestine to follow suit, emphasizing that such a move would play a crucial role in reinvigorating the stalled peace process while fostering greater peace, security, and regional stability.
Witkoff, Abdelatty discuss stalled Gaza ceasefire talks
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the need to intensify pressure to reach a Gaza ceasefire and a captives release deal as soon as possible, according to a readout from Cairo about a phone call the pair held earlier today.
The call was held before Witkoff departed for "Israel", where he will meet with officials in occupied al-Quds on Thursday to discuss efforts to secure the release of the captives, end the war, and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Witkoff and Abdelatty “exchanged views on the joint efforts of the three guarantor parties—Egypt, the United States, and Qatar—to secure a ceasefire by intensifying pressure so that an agreement to be reached as soon as possible,” the Egyptian readout said.
Abdelatty stressed that the “humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip resulted from blatant Israeli violations and the use of starvation as a weapon against Palestinians,” the readout added.
