Egypt’s presence in Gaza talks highlights country’s ‘pivotal role’ in region, analysts say
CAIRO: The presence of an Egyptian delegation at a planned meeting in Rome to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza underlines Cairo’s “pivotal role” in the region, political analyst and member of parliament Osama Al-Ashmuni told Arab News on Saturday, adding that it also demonstrates Egypt’s unquestioned commitment to the Palestinian cause.
Egypt has been engaged in months of mediation efforts along with Qatar and the United States aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip that has been raging for more than nine months.
A meeting of Egyptian, US and Qatari officials and the head of Israeli intelligence will be held in Rome on Sunday and is expected to forge an agreement to immediately halt military intervention and guarantee the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, a senior government official told Cairo News Channel.
The source said Egyptian authorities have stressed the importance of reaching an agreement that guarantees free movement for Gaza residents and a complete withdrawal from the Rafah crossing.
Al-Ashmouni told Arab News that Egypt “throughout its history has strongly supported the Palestinian cause, defended the rights of the Palestinian people and provided great support in the pursuit of the return of the occupied territories and the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Al-Ashmouni added that Israel “consistently spreads lies and continues its deceptive practices and lies by distorting Egypt’s role in supporting the Palestinian cause and trying to portray itself as a victim, reversing the roles of victim and perpetrator.”
“It is vital that participants in the Rome Conference realize this, because while the international community has adopted a passive stance against Israeli actions, including crimes against humanity and war crimes against unarmed Palestinians in Gaza, the conscience of the free world should not listen to the fabrications spread by the Israeli propaganda machine.”
Al-Ashmouni said he expected Israel to continue its policy of obstructing peace talks, but he hoped the talks in Rome would bear fruit.
Egyptian senator and journalist Mahmoud Mosalam told Arab News that Egypt was playing a key role in the mediation talks amid “intense criticism from Israel and other parties who want Egypt to step down as a mediator.”
“They claim that Egypt is facilitating the smuggling of arms to the resistance, and some US media have falsely alleged that Egypt has altered the text of previous negotiations,” Mosalam added.
He hopes that the talks in Rome, which will also involve Palestinian and Italian officials, “will be fruitful and help Gaza move out of a serious crisis that is close to a real genocide.”
He added that the recent surge in global support for the Palestinian people is an opportunity they must seize, and that an end to the war is inevitable, at which point Palestinian leaders will have a “serious responsibility” to rebuild Gaza and reconstitute a Palestinian authority toward a “comprehensive solution” to the Palestinian issue.
