Implications of the Cairo Peace Summit on the situation in Gaza
The Cairo Peace Summit on the situation in Gaza has commenced, bringing together world leaders for the first time in Egypt‘s administrative capital, under the banner of “Cairo Peace Summit 2023.” The summit aims to address the devastating Israeli aggression on Gaza, now in its third week, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people so far. The summit starts its proceedings amidst the sounds of Israeli artillery, as the occupation continues its relentless shelling and heinous crimes against civilians, including innocent children, and targets hospitals and churches.
Significance of the Summit
The Egyptian summit witnesses significant regional and international participation, aiming to exert pressure on the international community to halt the brutal Israeli aggression. Approximately 31 countries and 3 international organizations participate, with leaders from Qatar, Turkey, Greece, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Italy, and Cyprus, among others, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who praised Egypt’s role in ensuring aid delivery to Gaza through the Rafah crossing, as reported by “Roaya.”
The summit also includes the presence of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, Brazil, as well as the Special Envoy of China, the U.S. Special Envoy, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, and the President of the European Council.
Consolidating positions
Dr. Tarek Fahmy, Professor of Political Science, explained that the importance of the international summit called for by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi regarding events in Palestine lies in the attempt to bring together different parties and consolidate their positions in support of Palestinians as the situation in Gaza deteriorates.
He added in a special statement that the significant implications in this context are related to political considerations. The summit is not just about who attended but about its agenda and role in de-escalating the situation in Gaza.
He continued, stating that Egypt is exerting significant regional and international pressure to make the summit a success, dismantle the crisis elements, and ensure a path to negotiation, saving Palestinian lives.
He emphasized that the summit comes at a highly sensitive time, with Israeli occupation crimes continuing two weeks before the start of “Operation Storm of Al-Aqsa,” and their attempts to settle the Palestinian issue, displace the people of Gaza, and empty the region.
Egypt’s role
Dr. Hamed Fares, Professor of International Relations, stated that the summit stems from Egypt‘s constant interest and role in containing the crisis, achieving de-escalation and peace to avoid expanding the crisis‘s scope, which poses risks to security and stability and leads to further civilian casualties.
In a statement, he stressed that Egypt places great emphasis on the necessity of adopting a path of de-escalation, reducing tension, and military operations while fully affirming that “the settlement of the Palestinian issue through a just and lasting peace is the way to achieve stability and security in the region”.
He pointed out that the summit also comes amidst attempts by some parties to divert the Palestinian issue from its path seeking peace based on justice, the Oslo principles, the Arab Peace Initiative, and working towards an escalation that leads to a futile conflict with no winners or losers, violating international law and humanitarian principles, and contravening the principles of religion and ethics.
The Cairo Peace Summit 2023 has several objectives, including addressing the developments and future of the Palestinian issue. It serves as a platform through which leaders of countries with regional or international influence can speak with one voice to emphasize the need for de-escalation, consideration of humanitarian conditions, and the opening of prospects for a two-state solution to achieve peace and stability in the region that fulfills the aspirations of the people.
