Egypt discusses re-engaging in Israel-Palestine peace process

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Thursday in Cairo with his Palestinian and Jordanian counterparts to discuss re-engaging in the Palestine-Israel peace process, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.

Shoukry met with Palestine's Riyad Al-Maliki and Jordan's Ayman Al-Safadi to review ways of reaching a fair, comprehensive, arrangement for the people of Palestine based on a two-state solution, Hafez added.

The spokesman did not say what spurred discussion around re-engaging with the process.

Later in the day, Hafez quoted the foreign minister as saying during a ministerial meeting at the Arab League: "Minister Shoukry reinforces Egypt’s firm stance towards supporting the Palestinian cause, rejecting any factors that target the Islamic and Christian identities of Jerusalem and their sanctities." 

He continued in another tweet: “[Shoukry] stressed the importance of stopping any [Israeli] settlements…all over the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi is expected to host Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort in South Sinai later this month, according to reports. He will also hold talks with Palestinian and Jordanian leaders.

The exact date of the meeting has not yet been officially announced.