Tripartite summit in Egypt on situation of Palestine concludes

RAMALLAH, Palestine

A tripartite summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was held in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Thursday.

The final statement of the summit stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the rejection of Israel's measures that undermine a two-state solution.

The statement also stressed maintaining and preserving the historical and legal status in Jerusalem concerning its Islamic and Christian sites, saying any measures that could change the status in Jerusalem should be rejected.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency, talks at the summit focused on coordinating efforts regarding the Palestinian cause, especially the peace process with Israel in addition to stabilization of the cease-fire in Gaza.

"Achieving the aspirations of the Palestinian people in the independent state only comes through unity and ending the division between the West Bank and Gaza," al-Sisi said.

Abbas and Abdullah hailed Egypt's efforts to reach a cease-fire following Israel’s 11-day offensive on Gaza this May and Egypt’s efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the statement said.

A statement by the Jordanian Royal Court quoted Abdullah saying that the current situation cannot last and that the region will not achieve security and stability without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the summit comes within the framework of "continuing intensive consultation and coordination on various issues of common interest, and to follow up on the next steps regarding support for the Palestinian cause in various forums and at all levels."

On Tuesday, Wafa said the summit aims to "urge the US administration to fulfill its promises to preserve the two-state solution, through practical steps that put an end to the racist settlement policy, and work to open a political path that leads to ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state and the right of return for refugees."

Since April 2014, negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides have stalled, due to Tel Aviv's refusal to stop settlement building, release Palestinian detainees, and evading a two-state solution.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara.