Egypt’s FM meets Abbas to discuss situation in Palestine

Ramallah, May 25 (IANS) Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah and discussed the situation in the Palestinian territories following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire brokered by Cairo.The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said that during the meeting on Monday, Abbas briefed Shoukry on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and the contacts that the leadership is holding with the US, reports Xinhua new agency.WAFA said that Abbas welcomed the Egyptian efforts in cooperation between the Arab states and the US administration “to stop the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people”, reports Xinhua news agencyAbbas also thanked Shoukry for donating $500 million towards the reconstruction of what had been destroyed in the recent Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.The President also explained to Shoukry that the leadership is in contact with the Hamas on forming a unity government that will abide by the international legitimacy.He also explained to Shoukry that after stabilising the ceasefire, the Palestinian side wants to start a political process under the supervision of the International Quartet.”The Palestinians seek a process that ends the Israeli occupation and leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of international legitimacy decisions,” Abbas said.Meanwhile, Shoukry said that Egypt will continue supporting the Palestinian cause at all levels and will continue its efforts to achieve a Palestinian unity and end of internal division.”I conveyed a letter from President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. It is a letter of solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority,” the Foreign Minister said.He went on saying that the joint goal of all Arab states is to fully coordinate with the Palestinian Authority to achieve justice and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.On May 22, Abbas held talks with an Egyptian security delegation that visited Palestine to stabilise the ceasefire, after 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas-led militants in Gaza.At least 248 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children, 39 women, and 17 elderly people and 1,900 others were injured in the bloodshed.On the Israeli side, there were 12 fatalities, including two children, with more than 300 injuries.–IANSksk/