CAIRO: The recent United Nations General Assembly resolution to fly the Palestinian flag is “a new step forward to achieving the goal of the creation of an independent Palestinian state,” the Foreign Ministry stated.
The Thursday resolution green-lights the raising of the flag of Palestine over th eNew York-based headquarters. In 2012, Palestine was given a seat in the General Assembly chamber as a non-member observer state.
“Egypt considers the decision as an additional step towards achieving the goal of establishing an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty over its lands and East Jerusalem as its Capital,” the statement read.
The outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry is scheduled to meet Saturday afternoon UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl to discuss the latest development of humanitarian situation of Gaza strip that was destroyed by Israel soldiers in 2014 July-August war.
In October 2014, Cairo co-hosted with Norway an international donor conference for Gaza that raised $5.4 billion in donations. Gaza reconstruction will cost $7.8 billion, as 17,000 homes were destroyed and over 100,000 were displaced within the 360 km² area, according to the Palestinian Authority.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi accepted Saturday noon the resignation of Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahalb’s government, assigning Minister of Petroleum Sherif Ismail to form the new government.
Sisi has met Friday with Cairo visiting Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, discussing the means of reviving the impeded peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, vowing that he would talk the case in the 2015 UN General Assembly meetings in October to “push forward diplomatic efforts to reach a just and comprehensive settlement.”