Rights of Palestinians underscored at summit

CAIRO — Leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Palestine highlighted on Tuesday the need to preserve "legitimate" Palestinian rights and continue joint efforts to achieve comprehensive, just and permanent peace in the region.

During a tripartite summit held in Egypt's capital Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the Palestinian issue in light of the current developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The three leaders pledged to continue joint efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, "which embodies an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital" in accordance with international law, international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

They also stressed the need for the international community to provide protection for the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, and confirmed the need to halt illegal unilateral Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution and opportunities for achieving just and comprehensive peace.

These measures include "settlements, confiscation of Palestinian lands, demolitions of homes, the displacement of Palestinians from their homes, the continuous raids into Palestinian cities, and the violation of the historical and legal status in Jerusalem and its sanctities", the statement said.

They underlined the necessity to preserve the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian sanctities, unify the Palestinians to end internal division and take effective measures to alleviate the deteriorating living conditions in the Gaza Strip.

The leaders also noted the importance of international support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to continue to provide vital services for the refugees.

They agreed to continue intensive consultation within the Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian coordination framework at all levels to promote the resumption of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Envoy summoned

In a separate development, Jordan summoned the Israeli ambassador to Amman on Tuesday to protest a move by the Israeli police to block the Jordanian envoy from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The incident quickly escalated tension between the neighbors.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry said its Ambassador to Israel Ghassan Majali was blocked from entering the compound, a holy site.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the region's most contested sites, could become a new major flashpoint between Israel and the Muslim world. Past Israeli actions there have triggered violent protests and wider conflicts.

                                                                                                       Xinhua