Morocco, Egypt call for urgent ceasefire in Gaza and for immediate entry of humanitarian aid

Morocco and Egypt have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for unrestricted distribution of humanitarian aid to the starving Palestinians.

This came during a meeting held in Rabat on Wednesday between Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,Nasser Bourita,and his Egyptian peer Badr Abdel Aty,who is visiting Morocco to convey a written message from President El Sisi to King Mohammed VI.

The meeting covered regional and international issues of common interest,highlighting the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity and promoting joint Arab action as a cornerstone of stability and development in the Arab region.

At a press briefing following their meeting,the two officials underlined the two countries’ close coordination to end Israeli aggression against unarmed Palestinian civilians.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister said he had informed his Moroccan counterpart of the efforts made by Egypt,in cooperation with Qatar and with the United States,“to quickly achieve a ceasefire and put an end to the brutal Israeli aggression against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip.” He stated that as Nasser Bourita mentioned,the policy of starvation must end,and the rapid and unconditional delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza must be ensured.

Badr Abdel Aty also expressed rejection of “any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause and affirmed support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,especially their right to establish an independent state within the June 4,1967 borders,with East Jerusalem as its capital.” He emphasized that Egypt and Morocco reject “all ideas of forced displacement” currently being circulated,and he mentioned the Arab-Islamic initiative “for the rapid recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip,without displacing populations from their land or homeland.”

Furthermore,he said he had informed his Moroccan counterpart of “Egypt’s willingness to host an international reconstruction conference in Cairo,as soon as a ceasefire agreement is reached,in accordance with the decision made during the emergency summit on Palestine held in Cairo on March 4.”

The Egyptian minister highlighted the alignment of positions between Egypt and Morocco on all discussed issues,both at the Arab and African levels. “We observed alignment on the unacceptable aggressions perpetrated against the Palestinian people in Gaza,the destruction of infrastructure,the imposed famine,and the incursions into holy sites,” he stressed,reiterating commitment to the two-state solution.

He expressed thanks to the Kingdom of Morocco for its continued efforts,as head of the Al-Quds Committee,chaired by King Mohammed VI,and praised the contributions of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency established by the committee.

For his part,Nasser Bourita condemned the current policies which,according to him,“only fuel the logic of conflict in the region,close the door to peace prospects,and feed extremism and hatred.” “Morocco and Egypt have been working for years to establish a climate of peace and coexistence in the region,within the framework of clear references and international legality in favor of the two-state solution,with the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders,with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the Moroccan official said.

At their meeting,the two officials praised the excellence and strength of the relations between Morocco and Egypt,and reaffirmed their shared desire to elevate them to a higher level across various fields,particularly in the economic sphere.

In this connection,they expressed their aspiration to strengthen economic relations for greater complementarity,balance,and mutually beneficial interests,within the framework of a “win-win” vision and to broaden the scope of these ties.

Based on this shared conviction,the ministers stressed the need to consolidate intensive and mutually beneficial cooperation between the private sectors in both countries.

To strengthen the institutional mechanisms governing relations between Morocco and Egypt,the ministers agreed to establish a joint coordination and follow-up commission at the level of the Heads of Government of the two countries. This commission will be composed of ministers from various departments and will meet periodically and alternately in the two countries.

They also agreed to hold,during the current year in Cairo,the 4th session of the mechanism for political and strategic dialogue,coordination,and consultation.