President Sheikh Mohamed calls for immediate end to violence in Gaza at Cairo peace summit

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

President Sheikh Mohamed on Saturday reiterated calls for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza.

He made the call in a post on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, as he joined the heads of several states at a Cairo summit for peace in Gaza.

“Today, I attended the Cairo Peace Summit, where the UAE joined its international partners to urgently address the situation in the Gaza Strip,” said Sheikh Mohamed.

“The UAE stands unwavering in its calls for the utmost protection of civilian lives, unimpeded access for humanitarian aid, and an immediate end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip.

“The international community must work together to avert further violence and wider instability, as dialogue, co-operation, and coexistence remain the only viable pathways to peace.”

Sheikh Mohamed's remarks came after he told the GCC-Asean Summit in Riyadh on Friday the region was facing a “grave conflict”.

The Cairo summit aligns with the UAE's continued efforts to support all diplomatic avenues aimed at securing a peace that ends violence in the region and enhances stability, state news agency Wam reported.

"The summit, seeks to address de-escalation in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories, emphasising the utmost priority of an immediate ceasefire and ending hostilities to prevent further expansion of the conflict and the exacerbation of humanitarian crises in the Middle East," reported Wam.

"Additionally, the summit will discuss developments related to the Palestinian cause, its future, and work towards defining a clear horizon to achieve a just, comprehensive, secure, and sustainable peace in the region."

Also speaking at the summit was Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who warned against any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank.

“We will remain steadfast on our lands,” Mr Abbas said.

“We will not leave, will not leave, will not leave – and we will remain on our lands.

“We have demanded from day one for a halt to this brutal aggression and the opening of humanitarian corridors, but Israel did not allow this.”

The summit was taking place only hours after the first shipment of humanitarian aid into Gaza arrived nearly two weeks after Hamas's war with Israel began.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the summit host, urged leaders to work towards a ceasefire in the Gaza war and guarantee sustained humanitarian aid to the coastal enclave's 2.3 million people.

“We meet in Cairo at a difficult time. Our humanity is being tested ahead of our interests and the depth of our faith in the value of man and his right to live are put to the test,” he said.