Cairo peace conference fails to reach agreement to stop Israel-Gaza war

Egypt, which convened and chaired the meeting, said it hoped participants would call for peace and continue efforts to resolve the decades-long Palestinian statehood issue.

Cairo peace conference fails to reach agreement to stop war Israel Gaza picture 1 — A view of the Peace Summit in Cairo, Egypt on October 21, 2023. Photo: UAE President's Office

But the meeting ended without leaders agreeing on a joint statement, two weeks after a conflict that has killed thousands and unleashed a humanitarian disaster in the blockaded Gaza enclave of 2.3 million people.

Diplomats attending the talks were not optimistic about a breakthrough, as Israel prepared a ground offensive into Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas, the militant group that massacred 1,400 people in Israeli towns on October 7.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday that Israeli air and missile strikes have killed at least 4,385 Palestinians in the past two weeks.

While Arab and Muslim countries have called for an immediate end to Israel's offensive, Western countries have largely spoken out about more modest goals such as humanitarian relief for civilians.

Jordan's King Abdullah has condemned what he called global silence over Israeli attacks, calling for a balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The message the Arab world is hearing is that Palestinian lives are less important than Israeli lives,” he said, adding that he was outraged and saddened by the acts of violence against innocent civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians would not leave their land. “We will not leave, we will not leave,” he told the conference.

France has called for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza that it said could lead to a ceasefire. Britain and Germany have both urged the Israeli military to show restraint, and Italy said it was important to avoid an escalation.

The United States, Israel's closest ally and a key player in all previous peace efforts in the region, sent only its chargé d'affaires to Cairo and did not speak publicly at the meeting.

European Council President Charles Michel said the main goal of the summit was to “listen to each other”. However, he added: “We understand that we need to cooperate much more” on issues including the humanitarian situation, avoiding regional escalation and the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, AP, CNN)

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