CAIRO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday stressed Egypt's full support for the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and underscored the need to enable it to assume its responsibilities across the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
Abdelatty made the remarks during a phone call with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, as the two sides discussed ways to move toward the second phase of the U.S.-proposed peace plan between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, according to a statement issued by Egypt's Foreign Ministry.
During the call, Abdelatty highlighted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 as a supportive framework for the transitional phase, and reiterated Egypt's support for deploying an international stabilization force and forming a Palestinian technocratic committee, which he said would help create the conditions necessary for restoring the PA's role in Gaza while preserving the unity of Palestinian territory between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
He condemned Israel's "repeated violations in the West Bank, including attacks on Palestinian civilians, incursions, and settlement expansion," warning that such actions undermine prospects for de-escalation and derail the political process.
For his part, the Palestinian vice president praised Egypt's pivotal role, lauding Cairo's close coordination with the Palestinian leadership and its continued support for the PA.
Al-Sheikh stressed the importance of reaching "a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian issue in line with international legitimacy resolutions, in a way that ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
Brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States, an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, following two years of conflict. However, Israel continues to bomb Gaza.
Gaza's health authorities said Tuesday that 447 Palestinians have been killed and 1,246 others wounded since the ceasefire began. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 71,424 Palestinians and injured 171,324 others, according to the authorities. ■
