New Administrative Capital, Egypt, Oct 21 (EFE).- Global leader gathered in Cairo on Saturday for a Palestine peace summit amid a crisis in Gaza following a deadly military conflict between Islamist Hamas group and Israel.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, European Council President Charles Michel, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, and acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met in Cairo ahead of the opening of the summit called by Egypt’s President Abdelfattah El-Sisi to de-escalate the violence in Gaza.
Sources from the Spanish prime minister’s office confirmed the meeting and shared a photograph, but did not disclose specific details of the discussions.
The Egyptian peace summit has brought together representatives from 34 countries in Egypt’s New Administrative City for an unprecedented diplomatic gathering for a humanitarian resolution to the Gaza crisis and address the Palestinian issue.
The summit represents the most extensive diplomatic effort to date to halt the escalation of violence between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas.
The conflict began with a devastating attack on Israeli territory on Oct.7 by hundreds of Hamas militants, resulting in over 1,400 deaths.
The surprise multi-pronged Hamas attack led to indiscriminate retaliation by Israel against the Gaza Strip, with over 4,100 deaths.
The event is attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Hamad bin Aisa al Khalifa of Bahrain, Emir Tamim al Thani of Qatar, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority, King Mohamed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, and Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al Sudani of Iraq.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is also present.
Several European leaders, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are represented by their foreign ministers.
The summit is commencing just after the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened to facilitate the entry of 20 trucks carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid, a top priority on the summit’s agenda. EFE
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