The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan meeting in Cairo issued a joint statement Sunday emphasizing the centrality of the Palestinian issue to achieving peace, security, and stability in the Middle East, according to the statement. The ministers said the Palestinian issue remains at the heart of efforts for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace, and devoted special attention to the humanitarian and political situation in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, which they described as under occupation.
The joint statement puts the four countries squarely behind a framing the Israeli government and many Western allies have moved away from — that the Palestinian issue is the core driver of regional instability. The meeting in Cairo widens the diplomatic circle beyond the more familiar US-Iran mediation track. The declaration follows an earlier gathering of the same foreign ministers with an American adviser, as reported by The Zioneer at 14:47. While the wording on "occupation" and the call for a comprehensive peace track the positions of each capital, the fact that Saudi Arabia — which has pursued quiet normalization with Israel — signed onto the language marks it as notable. No concrete diplomatic mechanism or timeline was announced. The statement comes amid ongoing but separate diplomatic efforts focused on the Gaza ceasefire and the northern front with Lebanon.
3 developments
- DevelopingEgypt's Sisi hosts Saudi, Pakistani, Turkish FMs for US-Iran mediation talks
- StrongSaudi Arabia calls for restraint; Iran vows to 'neutralize source of attacks'
- DevelopingYemen's deputy foreign minister pledges support for Palestine until 'destruction of the Zionist regime'
- StrongHamas says delegation completed Cairo talks, heading to Turkey
Source and signal
- Internal intake