President Abbas affirms commitment to just peace under international resolutions

CAIRO, President Mahmoud Abbas said today that the Palestinian leadership remains committed to a comprehensive and just peace based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy and under the auspices of the International Quartet.

Speaking at a tripartite summit with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah in Cairo, the President welcomed the role of Jordan and Egypt in working to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and achieving statehood and independence, with East Jerusalem as capital of the State of Palestine.

“[The Palestinian leadership] will continue to work for the unification of our land and people and the achievement of national interests, on the basis of everyone’s commitment to international legitimacy. This will be followed by the formation of a national unity government to assist in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and to hold the general presidential and legislative elections if they can be held in East Jerusalem,” said President Abbas.

He vehemently condemned settler attacks against Palestinian civilians, attempts by Israel to evict the expel the Palestinians of Jerusalem, the ongoing colonial settlement activities, the demolitions of Palestinians’ home by the Israeli occupation and the Israeli attempts to change the historical status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We have always shown high flexibility, and we have dealt positively with all international initiatives and efforts aimed at achieving peace in accordance with international legitimacy. Therefore, we affirm our readiness to work at to create a positive atmosphere by implementing confidence-building steps that include achieving comprehensive calm in all of the Palestinian territories and not taking any unilateral measures.”

Meantime, the final communique of the tripartite meeting urged Israel to stop the eviction of Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, especially in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, and to stop all the unilateral Israeli measures on the ground which may undermine any chances of peace based on a two-state solution.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and King Abdullah II affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian issue and the firm positions of Egypt and Jordan in supporting the Palestinian people and their just and legitimate rights, foremost of which is their right to establish their independent, sovereign state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The leaders pledged to work together to develop a vision to activate efforts to resume negotiations, and to work with partners to revive the peace process in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, and under the auspices of the International Quartet, provided that this vision will be reviewed during the next tripartite summit.

The leaders affirmed that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace constitutes a strategic choice and a necessity for regional and international peace and security, and all efforts must be united to achieve it.

They stressed the need to preserve the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian sanctities, and to reject all Israeli practices aimed at compromising this situation.

They also stressed the importance of the historical Jordanian guardianship over the Islamic and Christian holy places in Jerusalem, and the role of Jordan in protecting these holy sites.

The leaders welcomed the efforts made by Egypt to stabilize the ceasefire and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, and called on the international community to exert all efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The three leaders also stressed the importance for the international community to continue to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency f(UNRWA) and the need to provide the financial support it needs to maintain its vital services to Palestinian refugees in accordance with its UN mandate.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency

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