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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called the Cairo Peace Summit on Saturday. The summit aimed to resolve the decade-old conflict between Palestine and Israel based on a two-state solution and to de-escalate the heated situation in Gaza by achieving a truce. Nevertheless, owing to the participants’ skepticism, disagreements, and divisions, the summit was a failure to produce any tangible outcomes.
Along with foreign ministers, the summit brought together several leaders of state and government from Europe and the Arab world, including King Abdullah of Jordan and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine. The meeting was initiated as Israel prepared to launch a ground invasion of Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s 1,400-person onslaught on October 7.
The fact that Israel was not present at the summit was one of the primary points of disagreement. Citing security concerns, Israel declined to attend the meeting, charging Egypt with prejudice. Additionally, Egypt was rejected by Israel as a mediator since Egypt was perceived as endorsing Hamas and compromising Israel’s right to self-defense.
The participation of Hamas, the Islamist militant group that rules Gaza and has been labeled a terrorist organization by several nations, was another cause of strife. Although Hamas was not invited to the summit, a team from the organization met with Egyptian authorities and other mediators in Cairo. Hamas persisted in calling for the end of Israeli aggression, the lifting of the embargo on Gaza, and the release of its detainees in Israel.
While Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates decried Hamas’s conduct and held it responsible for the escalation of violence, Qatar and Turkey, two other Arab nations, showed sympathy and support for Hamas. The meeting also demonstrated Iran’s increasing sway over the area, given that it has been arming and funding Hamas and other anti-Israel organizations.
In addition, the summit did not address the fundamental issues that have caused the conflict, including the illegal Israeli settlements, Jerusalem’s status, refugee rights, and the absence of a Palestinian state. The summit just reiterated the tried-and-true strategies of earlier peace initiatives rather than providing a novel viewpoint or novel strategy for addressing these problems.
Ambiguous remarks that demanded an instant ceasefire, the prompt delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, and the restart of talks centered on the two-state solution were issued at the summit’s conclusion. These appeals, nonetheless, were not supported by any specific measures or assurances. Furthermore, the enactment included no reference to an agenda or procedure for carrying out these actions.
Inevitably, the Cairo Peace Summit can be marked as an unsuccessful attempt to bring an end to the misery and carnage in Gaza and to forward the Middle East’s quest for justice and peace. It brought to light the conflicts and disparities between the parties concerned, rather than encouraging collaboration and harmony among them. The international community’s incompetence and insignificance in handling this problem were also demonstrated in the meeting. It should be kept in mind that Promises and hollow words are not enough for the people of Gaza.
| “To put an end to their suffering and regain their dignity, they require genuine action and solutions. To address their justifiable complaints and ambitions, they require a real peace process, not the old defective solutions.” |
They require the true assistance of the international community that in solidarity can unite with them in their fight for freedom and human rights.
Researcher, PolicyEast.
