Egyptian and Emirati leaders met in Cairo on Monday to discuss the crisis in Gaza, stressing the need to back U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan aimed at resolving the conflict in the enclave.
An Egyptian presidency statement said talks between President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, took up regional developments, particularly Gaza. Both leaders welcomed Trump’s proposal to halt the Israeli war in the enclave, the statement said.
According to media reports, Trump unveiled a 21-point plan during meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders last Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
The plan calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of all Israeli captives within 48 hours. It also outlines the creation of international and Palestinian administrative bodies to gradually govern Gaza, explicitly excluding Hamas from any political or security role.
Sisi and bin Zayed stressed "the importance of supporting this peace initiative as a pathway toward achieving comprehensive and lasting peace in the region,” the presidency said.
Hamas said Sunday that indirect negotiations with Israel remain stalled after Israel’s assassination attempt against its delegation in Doha on Sept. 9. The group said it has received no new proposals from mediators but remains open to reviewing "any initiatives positively and responsibly, in a manner that preserves our national rights.”
Bin Zayed arrived in Cairo early Monday for what Cairo described as a "fraternal visit.” His last trip to Egypt was on Aug. 25, where he held talks with Sisi in the Mediterranean city of El-Alamein.
The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.
