CAIRO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, and France met in Cairo on Saturday to discuss joint efforts at resolving the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip and finding a lasting solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Jordanian and French counterparts, Ayman Safadi and Stephane Sejourne, called for "an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages and detainees," according to a joint statement released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
They also warned against "the horrific consequences of the humanitarian situation, the famine and the collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip," stressing their opposition to any attempts of forcible transfer and displacement of the Palestinian people.
The three foreign ministers demanded Israel "lift all obstacles and allow and facilitate the use of all land crossing" to expand humanitarian aid delivery to the people of the war-torn enclave.
Regarding Israel's announced intention to attack Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza, the three ministers said they "opposed any military attack on Rafah," which now shelters 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, warning any attack on Rafah will cause "massive loss of life and exacerbate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza."
Last week, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will be over on April 9, to pave the way for a lasting ceasefire in the enclave. However, the resolution hasn't been observed so far.
The foreign ministers demanded full implementation of relevant resolutions and stressed the importance of the two-state solution, which guarantees an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. ■
