Egypt receives a Fatah delegation to discuss developments in the war and efforts to unify the Palestinian ranks

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati received a delegation from the Fatah movement to discuss developments in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023. Alhurra quoted a source in the Fatah movement as saying, 'The meeting of the Fatah delegation with the Egyptian Foreign Minister is only consultative. The delegation will meet with the Palestinian community, follow up on the conditions of the Gazans in Egypt, and hold other meetings.' According to the same source, the meeting between Fatah and Hamas that took place two days ago in Cairo "did not achieve any breakthrough, agreement, or overcoming of obstacles regarding the selection of the community committee to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip" after the end of the war. He pointed out that "no final statement was issued by the two factions, and the Fatah delegation will leave Cairo on Sunday, and it is assumed that the Hamas delegation has left, and that the Fatah delegation will return to consult with the leadership in Ramallah, and it is expected that the meetings between the two delegations will resume within two weeks in Cairo." The ministry said in a statement that Abdel-Ati received the delegation headed by Mahmoud Al-Aloul, deputy head of the movement, Rawhi Fattouh, head of the National Council, and Azzam Al-Ahmad, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Central Committee of the Fatah movement. The official spokesman for the ministry, Tamim Khilaf, said that the meeting witnessed Abdel Aati reaffirming "Egypt's position in support of the Palestinian Authority, and its commitment to rejecting any plans to displace Palestinians from their land." He pointed out that "Egypt is keen in its contacts with the active international parties to ensure that humanitarian and relief aid reaches the Gaza Strip" in light of what he described as the "obstacles" placed by the Israeli army "and its control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing and undermining the work of the humanitarian relief organizations affiliated with the United Nations, as well as the movement of individuals through the crossing." The Egyptian Foreign Minister stressed the "necessity of confronting attempts to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip", and the "unity of the Palestinian land". He also reviewed "Egypt's contacts with various parties to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, reach a ceasefire, and exchange prisoners and detainees." The statement said that Abdel-Ati "was keen to review the efforts undertaken by Egypt in terms of mobilizing support for recognition of the Palestinian state, and the contacts it is conducting with all countries to convey its vision of the necessity of working to find a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian issue by establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital." The Minister stressed the "necessity of working to unite the Palestinian ranks and strengthen the role of the National Authority, in a way that ensures the achievement of the aspirations and hopes of the Palestinian people." Source: Maan News Agency