Cairo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that Egypt is making significant strides, in collaboration with regional and global partners, to swiftly organize an international conference focused on the early recovery and rebuilding of Gaza, slated to take place in Cairo.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Abdelatty, speaking alongside Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel, emphasized plans to host the conference in November, with the exact date to be finalized following consultations with the US, European, Arab, and Muslim partners. The conference will address early recovery initiatives, including providing shelter for vulnerable Palestinians, ensuring essential services like health, sewage, and drinking water, and addressing the issue of explosives.
Abdelatty highlighted ongoing communications with the Palestinian President to develop a rebuilding plan and assess the extent of destruction following last March’s military escalations. He stated that Egypt is working with European countries, Japan, and Arab and Muslim states to gather resources to meet the needs of Palestinians. Priority will be given to clearing rubble and reopening roads to facilitate aid delivery and initiate recovery projects.
Cairo’s role in hosting the Sharm El-Sheikh peace conference to end the conflict in Gaza was noted, with Abdelatty stressing the importance of ensuring the unobstructed flow of humanitarian aid, including relief supplies, food, and medical equipment, to Gaza. He mentioned that around 50,000 injured Palestinians require urgent medical attention, necessitating the deployment of field hospitals and mobile clinics.
In addition, Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s concern over the situation in Sudan, focusing on achieving a humanitarian truce and ceasefire to begin an inclusive political process. He discussed Egypt’s involvement in international Quartet mediation efforts and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s invitation to Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council President General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to visit Egypt.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister also touched upon discussions with his Maldivian counterpart about strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in trade, investment, and education. Khaleel emphasized the historic and ongoing educational exchanges between the two nations and expressed support for Egypt’s call for a sovereign independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.