Israel-Hamas War: World Leaders Converge in Cairo for Israel-Hamas Peace Talks

“Anywhere else, attacking civilian infrastructure and deliberately starving an entire population of food, water, electricity and basic necessities would be condemned. Accountability would be enforced … but not in Gaza,” he added.

‘Israel not represented’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was present at the summit and made a request for the establishment of humanitarian corridors while emphasizing the Palestinians’ determination to stay on their land, stating, “We will remain in our homeland.”

The absence of any Israeli representative and a senior U.S. official has cast a shadow on the anticipated outcomes of the summit.

Renowned journalist James Bays commented that although it’s positive for these nations to put forth a roadmap for resolving the crisis, there’s uncertainty about whether Israel will heed this proposed plan.

“Israel is not represented. It’s Israeli generals and the Israeli prime minister and the Israeli war cabinet who have the decisions on what to do militarily, and you see – as the speeches have been going on – fresh bombardment of Gaza [is taking place],” Bays noted.

The summit comes at a time when Israel is preparing for a ground assault on Gaza, following weeks of airstrikes that began after Hamas’s attack on October 7, which resulted in the loss of 1,400 lives in Israel.

Israel’s counteroffensive has led to the deaths of more than 4,200 Palestinians and has exacerbated a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Egypt initiated the international conference last week to address the “developments and future of the Palestinian cause.” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated that the meeting aims to achieve “international consensus” on the necessity of de-escalation and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the sole access point not controlled by Israel, had been closed for nearly two weeks due to Israel’s bombardment of the Strip but was reopened on Saturday to allow the entry of only 20 aid trucks.

Egypt, as the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, is concerned about a potential mass exodus of Palestinians into its territory. President el-Sisi emphasized that millions of Egyptians would oppose any forced displacement of Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula, as it could turn the region into a base for attacks against Israel.

Egypt’s stance reflects broader Arab concerns about the possibility of Palestinians being displaced or forced from their homes, as occurred during the war surrounding Israel’s establishment in 1948. Arab nations have expressed their anger at Israel’s unprecedented bombardment and siege of Gaza, which is home to 2.3 million people.

‘Showboating’

Marc Owen Jones, assistant professor of Middle East studies at Doha’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said there was “a large amount of political grandstanding” in the opening statements of Arab leaders at the Cairo summit as they reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“A lot of this is about the domestic legitimacy of these leaders, particularly el-Sisi who is worried about the population becoming restive if they don’t see him doing anything about the Palestinian cause,” he told Al Jazeera.

Despite the “showboating”, Owen Jones said the summit’s impact on developments on the ground would be limited.

He said “the realistic practical outcomes” would be “at the most a ceasefire, and at the least, a little more humanitarian aid going through”.

“I can’t see, without Israel at the table, that there’s going to be a sufficient degree of political clout here to stop Israel’s bombing of Gaza.”

Call for Israel ‘restraint’

Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for “a humanitarian ceasefire now”. He emphasized three key things to help de-escalate the crisis: “Immediate, unrestricted and sustained humanitarian aid for besieged civilians in Gaza. Immediate unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza. And immediate and dedicated efforts to prevent the spread of the violence, which is increasing the risk of spillover.”

Tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon, along with attempted attacks by Iranian-backed groups in other areas, have heightened concerns about potential spillover, especially if a ground offensive results in significant casualties. Additionally, a rise in anti-Islamic and anti-Jewish incidents globally has raised security apprehensions in many countries.

European nations have faced challenges in establishing a unified strategy for addressing the crisis, beyond condemning the attack by Hamas. This struggle has been marked by days of confusion and mixed communication.

At the summit, the UK’s foreign secretary James Cleverly said he has “called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military” and that he still believed in the “power of diplomacy and to secure a future where Israelis and Palestinians live in peace”.

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