Palestinian factions have reiterated their unified stance against Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank and the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
As they concluded a two-day meeting hosted by Egypt on Friday, the factions stressed that the current stage requires “a unified national stance,” rejecting all forms of annexation and displacement in Gaza, the West Bank, and al-Quds.
They condemned the Israeli parliament’s (Knesset) initial nod to annex the occupied West Bank as “a serious aggression on the Palestinian identity and existence.”
The meeting was held amid international efforts to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month and to address the repercussions of Israel’s genocidal war.
Several Palestinian factions attended the meeting to discuss the latest developments of the Palestinian cause and the second phase of US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, in preparation for holding a comprehensive national dialogue to restore national unity.
In a joint communiqué, the Palestinian factions demanded the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the complete lifting of the siege imposed on the territory, and the immediate start of a comprehensive reconstruction process of the strip.
They expressed their support for a temporary committee of technocrats to run post-war Gaza, in cooperation with Arab states and international institutions, stressing that national unity is the “decisive” response to Israel’s policies.
The statement also called for adopting all necessary measures to preserve security and stability in Gaza, and pointed to the importance of the issuance of a UN resolution regarding the deployment of temporary international forces to monitor the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the factions urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop violating the rights of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
They agreed to prepare for a meeting of all Palestinian forces and factions to unify visions and to activate the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), described as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," so that it includes all components and active forces of the Palestinian people.
The statement called for making the outcome of the meeting a true starting point for a genuine national unity to defend the Palestinian people’s right to life, dignity, freedom, self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital, while guaranteeing the right of return for refugees.
Israel has so far killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians since launching the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, before a ceasefire deal was reached in the strip earlier this month.
The deal marks the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, with further stages to be negotiated at a later date.
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