Arab leaders gathered at a summit in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and call for an end to the decades-long cycle of violence. The summit, hosted by Egypt, aimed to bring together Arab nations to condemn the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and urge renewed efforts to achieve peace between Israel and Palestine. However, with Israel and senior U.S. officials absent from the meeting, no joint statement or agreement was reached.
Egypt had hoped that the summit would result in a call for peace and the resumption of efforts to resolve the Palestinian quest for statehood. Unfortunately, the meeting concluded without a consensus, disappointing diplomats who had not been optimistic about a breakthrough. Israel was reportedly preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza in an attempt to dismantle the militant group Hamas, which had launched an attack on Israeli towns earlier in the month.
The conflict has taken a heavy toll on Gaza, with thousands of Palestinians killed and the region experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis. Arab and Muslim countries called for an immediate end to Israel’s offensive, while Western nations mainly focused on humanitarian relief for civilians. Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke out against the global silence surrounding Israel’s attacks and called for an even-handed approach to the conflict.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed determination that Palestinians would not be displaced or driven off their land. France called for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza as a potential pathway to a ceasefire, while other countries such as Britain, Germany, and Italy urged Israel to show restraint and avoid escalation. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, sent only its Cairo charge d’affaires to the summit who did not address the meeting in public.
The main goal of the summit, according to European Council President Charles Michel, was to “listen to each other” and work towards solutions for the humanitarian situation, regional escalation, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The ongoing conflict has raised concerns about the displacement of Gaza residents and the potential for a wider regional war. Arab states fear that the offensive could lead to a mass exodus of Palestinians, similar to what happened during the 1948 war following Israel’s establishment.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed his country’s opposition to the displacement of Palestinians into Egypt’s Sinai region and emphasized the need for an independent Palestinian state as the only solution. Jordan, which is home to many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, also expressed concerns about forced displacement and called it a “war crime” according to international law.
Prior to the summit’s opening, trucks carrying humanitarian aid began entering the Rafah crossing into Gaza. Egypt has been working to provide relief to Gaza through this crossing, which is the only access point not controlled by Israel. The situation remains dire, and efforts to bring about peace and alleviate the suffering of civilians continue.
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This article has been edited by Mark Heinrich, Toby Chopra, and Ros Russell and was originally published by Reuters.