RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar and Egypt said on Monday it was important to “deal seriously and positively” with a proposal presented by US President Joe Biden that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Biden on Friday presented what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict in Gaza, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.
The foreign ministers met virtually to discuss the proposal and US-Qatari-Egyptian mediating efforts for a swap deal of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners that would lead to a permanent ceasefire and sufficient aid entry into Gaza, Saudi Press Agency said.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia affirmed their support for these efforts.
The ministers stressed the need to stop Israeli aggression on Gaza, end the humanitarian catastrophe it is causing, and allow displaced people to return to their areas.
They called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the launch of a reconstruction process within the framework of a comprehensive plan to implement the two-state solution in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and with specific timings and binding guarantees.
The ministers stressed that implementing the two-state solution, which includes an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the way to achieve security and peace for all countries in the region.
