Ramallah: Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa received a phone call on Saturday from Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, during which they discussed the latest developments and dangerous escalation in the Palestinian Territory, as well as continued close coordination on a range of issues of mutual concern amid the challenges facing the region at this critical juncture.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency, Mustafa briefed Abdelatty on developments on the ground in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He stressed the importance of intensifying efforts by Egypt, mediators, and international partners to advance the roadmap for implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. This includes ensuring the entry and sustained delivery of humanitarian and relief aid sufficient to meet urgent needs, securing the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip, and launching the recovery and reconstruction process.
The Prime Minister also warned of the dangerous escalation by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank, highlighting attacks and colonists' violence against Palestinians and their property under the protection of Israeli forces. He further mentioned the colonial settlement expansion, land seizures, and recent plans related to the E1 colonial settlement project, which aim to undermine the territorial contiguity of the State of Palestine and isolate Jerusalem from Palestinian cities and communities.
Abdelatty conveyed the Egyptian leadership's full support for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its institutions. He stressed the need to enable the PA to fully assume responsibilities in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in a manner that preserves the unity of Palestinian territory and supports the Palestinian people's aspirations to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Both sides reiterated their absolute and unequivocal rejection of any Israeli plans aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians, annexing Palestinian territory, or attempting to alter the existing legal, demographic, and historical status of the occupied territories. They emphasized that policies aimed at imposing facts on the ground seriously undermine prospects for achieving peace and establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Mustafa also praised Egypt's historic and steadfast role in supporting the Palestinian cause and defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in all international forums.