The United States, Egypt, and Qatar called for the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. The region is currently a scene of war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. This Friday, Portugal associated itself firmly and actively with the appeal for the ceasefire.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on the social network X that.
The Portuguese Government firmly and actively supports the joint appeal by the President of the United States, the President of Egypt and the Emir of Qatar to finalize negotiations on the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza conflict.
In the same tweet, the Portuguese Government, through the ministry headed by Paulo Rangel, urges the parties to resume negotiations.
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Joint Statement from the Leaders
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar demanded on Thursday that Israel and Hamas finalize a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. A meeting is scheduled for August 15, with the aim of implementing the agreement without further delays. The three mediators said in a joint statement that.
We urge both sides to resume urgent discussions on Thursday, 15 August, in Doha or Cairo, to bridge all remaining gaps and begin implementation of the agreement without further delay. It is time to provide immediate relief to both the suffering people of Gaza and the suffering hostages and their families.
This statement was signed by the American President, Joe Biden, the Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The European Union (EU) later joined the cause on Friday, August 9th, 2024. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on X that:
The EU joins Egypt, Qatar & the US in their call for concluding, without delay, the ceasefire & hostages release deal. We reiterate our full support to their mediation to put an end to the unbearable cycle of suffering. The deal will also pave the way for regional de-escalation.
In response to the statement signed by Washington, Cairo, and Doha, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an Israeli delegation will travel next Thursday to meet with the mediators. The delegation will discuss details with the aim of reaching an agreement on the final details of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip back in 2023. This has already caused almost 40,000 deaths, mostly civilians. It is a humanitarian disaster that is destabilizing the entire Middle East region.
