Rishi Sunak has held talks in Cairo with the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, where the two men condemned Hamas and the prime minister reiterated the UK’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The leaders agreed on the need for all parties to take steps to protect civilians, and civilian infrastructure, and minimise the loss of innocent lives,” a spokesperson for Sunak said.
The meeting comes days after Abbas, who is in Egypt for a summit on Saturday, said he would not be meeting Joe Biden, who was in the region this week, after the explosion at the al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza.
The spokesperson added that Sunak and Abbas “condemned Hamas’s terrorism and stressed that Hamas do not represent the Palestinian people”.
Sunak landed in Cairo on Friday on the final leg of a Middle East tour to try to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from escalating.
The spokesperson said: “The prime minister expressed his deep condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza, including the terrible destruction of the al-Ahli hospital earlier this week … [and] reiterated the UK’s longstanding commitment to the two-state solution and to achieving a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.”
The meeting came after Sunak met Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and told him Britain shares a vision where the Palestinian people “can live with security and opportunity and dignity”. Downing Street said the two had agreed leaders needed to “avoid a contagion of conflict” in the region.
The UK is also prioritising efforts to reopen the vital Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip in order to deliver aid to Palestinians there.
“We look forward to playing an important role, together with Egypt, in making sure that aid can get to people as quickly as possible,” Sunak told Sisi. The prime minister said a £10m “uplift” to the UK’s humanitarian aid to the region “was the first manifestation of that commitment”.
Sunak arrived in Egypt after a meeting earlier on Friday in Saudi Arabia with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Qatar, home to the exiled former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, is regarded as a key mediator in efforts to secure the release of about 200 hostages who have been taken to the Gaza Strip.
Downing Street said Sunak had thanked Qatar for its efforts to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals.
On Thursday, Sunak met the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, after flying from Israel, where he held talks with the Israeli prime minister and president.
