Palestinian president to meet Sisi in Cairo

Speaking to Ma’an, Jamal al-Shobaki said Abbas would fly from Qatar to Cairo on Friday. On Saturday, he will meet al-Sisi and other officials for updates on the latest developments in Palestine, and the Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip.
 
Egypt, says al-Shobaki, is a focal point as the country has been hosting and sponsoring indirect negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli officials in an attempt to reach a final agreement between both sides ending a month-long deadly military confrontation in the Gaza Strip.
 
The ambassador highlighted that Egypt would host donor countries’ conference next month cosponsored by the Palestinian Authority and Norway.
 
“Wherever the conference is held, we welcome it,” Abbas said Saturday as he announced that the donor countries’ conference would be held in Cairo in September. He urged all donor countries and organizations, especially Arab countries, to join the conference and submit emergency aid.
 
The Norwegian government, for its part, announced Monday that it would cosponsor a donor’s conference to be held in Cairo to collect money needed for reconstruction of war torn Gaza Strip.
 
The conference, according to an announcement by the foreign minister of Norway, would be held after Israel and the Palestinians agree on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
 
Borge Brende said that all the money to be collected would be put at the disposal of Abbas. Brende’s remarks implied that money wouldn’t be given to Hamas.
 
“We can’t expect the international community to fund reconstruction of Gaza for a second time without preconditions,” Brende said.