By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority met met in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday on the sidelines of a global summit convened to end the war in Gaza, where the two leaders voiced satisfaction with the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has held for a fourth day.
The encounter, described as cordial by Sharif’s office, underscored Pakistan’s longstanding solidarity with the Palestinians amid a conflict that has ravaged Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 67,000 people and injuring over 170,000. The war has also displaced more than 1.9 million residents, leaving much of the territory in ruins and precipitating a dire humanitarian crisis.
The summit, hosted by Egypt and drawing leaders from more than 20 countries, is being co-led by President Donald J. Trump of the United States and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt. Egyptian officials have framed the gathering as an effort “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability.”
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States alongside Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, represents what mediators have called a first-phase agreement. It includes a mutual exchange of hostages and prisoners, an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid deliveries.
During their meeting, Abbas thanked Pakistan for its “constant support to the Palestinians and their assistance on the political and diplomatic front,” according to a statement from Sharif’s office. “Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire in Gaza and called it a precursor to peace in the region and the development of the Palestinians,” the statement said.
Sharif, who arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to attend the summit, paid tribute to “the brave people of Gaza for their courage and bravery in the face of Israeli aggression,” his office added. In a post on X earlier that day, Sharif described the signing ceremony of the Gaza peace plan at the summit as “a crucial step toward lasting peace in the Middle East.” “Today’s ceremony marks the closing of a genocidal chapter, one that the international community must ensure is never repeated anywhere again,” he wrote, while praising Trump’s “outstanding leadership” in securing the deal. “The brave and resilient Palestinian people deserve to live in a free Palestine, with pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as their capital city,” Sharif added.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office, in a statement issued on Sunday ahead of the summit, expressed hope that the talks would lead to “the full Israeli withdrawal, protection of Palestinian civilians, an end to their displacement, release of prisoners, addressing of the prevailing grave humanitarian situation, as well as reconstruction of Gaza.” “Prime minister’s participation in the summit reflects Pakistan’s historic, consistent, and unwavering support for the just cause of the Palestinian people for their right to self-determination as well as for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region,” the Foreign Office added.
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