Egypt and Palestine affirm the necessity of pressuring Israel to accept the Gaza proposal.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty and Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh emphasized the necessity of pressuring the occupation to accept the proposed agreement currently on the table to end its war on the Gaza Strip.

This came during their meeting on Tuesday evening in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where Sheikh arrived the same day on an unannounced visit.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement on Wednesday that the meeting witnessed a convergence of the two sides' positions regarding the need to intensify regional and international pressures on the occupation to stop the brutal war on the Gaza Strip.

They also stressed the necessity of accepting the proposed ceasefire put forth by Egypt and Qatar, which is based on the proposal of the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Wittekov.

About two weeks ago, Hamas announced its acceptance of a proposed agreement presented by mediators for a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire for 60 days, but the occupation refrains from announcing its position on it.

Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed on August 20 to expedite the implementation of the plan to occupy the city of Gaza, amid international warnings of catastrophic repercussions.

Abdel Aty condemned, according to the statement, the starvation policy pursued by the occupation against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and its use of famine as a weapon.

Since March 2, the occupation has closed all crossings leading to Gaza, preventing any humanitarian aid, which has plunged the strip into famine, despite relief trucks piling up at its borders.

However, it allowed a very limited amount of aid to enter a month ago, which does not meet the minimum needs of the starving, and famine continues, as most trucks are subjected to looting by gangs that the Gaza government claims are protected by the occupation.

Abdel Aty reiterated Egypt's firm rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their lands and the expansion of military operations by the occupation in Gaza, as well as the continuation of genocide against the Palestinian people.

With U.S. support, the occupation has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in 63,746 martyrs and 161,245 injured Palestinians, most of whom are children and women, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine that has killed 367, including 131 children.

Abdel Aty expressed astonishment at the illegal occupation practices in the occupied West Bank, particularly the illegal settlement plans.

He emphasized the complete rejection of land confiscation and the intimidation campaigns carried out by Zionist settlers against the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Tel Aviv's intention to annex 82 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank, stressing the need to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In preparation for the annexation, the occupation has intensified its crimes in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of its genocide war on Gaza, including the demolition of homes, the displacement of Palestinian citizens, land confiscation, and the expansion and acceleration of settlement construction.

The annexation of the occupied West Bank by the occupation would eliminate the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state, in implementation of the two-state solution principle (Palestinian and Israeli), as stipulated in resolutions issued by the United Nations.

Alongside the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli army and settlers have killed at least 1,017 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and injured about 7,000 others, in addition to arresting more than 18,500, according to Palestinian data.

For decades, the occupation has been occupying Palestine and lands in Syria and Lebanon, refusing to withdraw from them and establish an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of pre-1967 war.

The two sides also discussed, according to the statement, Egyptian-Palestinian coordination regarding mobilizing international support for the expansion of recognition of the Palestinian state.

Abdel Aty praised the intention of several countries to recognize the Palestinian state.

Countries, including France, Britain, Australia, Canada, and Belgium, have announced their intention to recognize the State of Palestine during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which opens its proceedings on September 9.

Of the 193 member states of the international organization, at least 149 countries recognize the Palestinian state declared by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.

Abdel Aty reiterated Egypt's commitment to continue supporting the Palestinian people's struggle to establish their inalienable rights, foremost among them their right to self-d