Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with his Egyptian counterpart Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi on Monday as part of a diplomatic visit to discuss the current Palestinian political situation.
During the meeting at the Heliopolis presidential palace, Abbas and Sisi reportedly discussed recent developments in Palestinian territory and the Middle East, and stressed the importance of holding an international conference to create appropriate mechanisms to end the Israeli occupation and protect Palestinians from Israeli violations.
Abbas thanked Egyptian leadership for their efforts in supporting Palestinians, especially in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Egypt played an important role in securing a truce in 2014 after a devastating conflict between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza which killed 2,251 Palestinians and 71 Israelis. Egypt was credited recently by Palestinian groups for helping restore calm after a spate of Israeli airstrikes and shellings on Gaza last week.
Egypt has led a wide-reaching campaign against insurgents in the Sinai Peninsula, destroying and flooding hundreds of smuggling tunnels vital for the blockaded Palestinian territory in the process.
Egypt has also accused the Hamas movement of supporting the anti-regime militants, allegations Hamas, which has a notoriously strained relationship with Abbas' Palestinian Authority, has strongly denied.
PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeina, presidential diplomatic affairs advisor Majdi al-Khalidi, PA general intelligence agency chief Majid al-Faraj, and Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Jamal al-Shubaki attended the meeting.
Sisi's national security advisor Fayza Abu al-Naja, presidential office head Mustafa Shari, and Sisi spokesman Alaa Yusif also represented Egypt at the meeting.
