Egypt’s president and Jordan’s king hold talks ahead of summit with Palestinian leader

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Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at a trilateral summit in El Alamein on Egypt's northern coast on August 14, 2023. (Jordanian Royal Palace handout via AFP)
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomes Jordan King Abdullah II at El Alamein International Airport on August 14, 2023. (Jordanian Royal Palace handout via AFP)
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Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at a trilateral summit in El Alamein on Egypt's northern coast on August 14, 2023. (Jordanian Royal Palace handout via AFP)
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Updated 15 August 2023
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Egypt’s president and Jordan’s king hold talks ahead of summit with Palestinian leader

  • Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and King Abdullah II discuss bilateral relations before attending a tripartite summit with President Mahmoud Abbas on developments in the Palestinian cause
  • In the final communique from the summit, El-Sisi and Abbas stress the importance of the historical Hashemite custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Monday received a visit from Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Their meeting came ahead of a tripartite summit the same day between Egypt, Jordan and Palestine, in the northwestern city of New Alamein on the North Coast, to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian cause.

Ahmed Fahmy, a spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, said the president and the king discussed a number of issues and expressed their satisfaction with the distinguished relationship between their countries.

They also shared their aspirations for enhancing relations in ways that benefit the interests of their nations and their peoples, at a bilateral level and within the framework of a tripartite cooperation mechanism with Iraq, especially at the economic and commercial levels, and discussed a number of regional and international issues of common concern.

The two leaders also reviewed developments related to the Palestinian issue and agreed to strengthen the efforts by their nations to provide full support to “the brothers in Palestine, and work to revive the peace process” to help achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with international legitimacy.

King Abdullah thanked Egypt and El-Sisi for hosting the tripartite summit, and then the two leaders joined Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the meeting.

During a tripartite meeting, the leaders discussed “the development of the Palestinian cause” and expressed their support for a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with east Jerusalem as the future Palestinian capital, Fahmy said in a later statement.

In the final communique from the summit, El-Sisi and Abbas stressed the importance of the historical Hashemite custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and its role in preserving their Arab identity.

Last week, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly co-chaired the 31st session of the Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Committee with his Jordanian counterpart, Bishr Al-Khasawneh, at the latter’s office in Amman.

During the meeting they witnessed the signing of 12 agreements for enhanced bilateral cooperation in a number of sectors. They included a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field economic and development policies, and others related to financial controls, an executive program in environmental protection, and the field of social affairs.

 


Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares. (AP)
Updated 02 January 2026
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Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

  • Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. 
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. 
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.