Trump refrains from taking a stance on Palestinian state after Gaza ceasefire

(From left) Israel’s President Isaac Herzog looks on as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sends off US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport, on Monday. PIC/AP/PTI

US President Donald Trump on Monday refrained from taking a position on whether he supports the recognition of a Palestinian state, hours after signing the Gaza ceasefire agreement alongside several world leaders at a peace summit in Egypt. "I'm not talking about single state or double state or two state, we're talking about the rebuilding of Gaza," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One during his flight back from the Middle East.

The President said that discussions around the political structure of a future Palestinian state would take time, noting, "A lot of people like the one-state solution. Some people like the two-state solutions. We'll have to see," before adding, "I haven't commented on that."

Earlier at the summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi described the moment as a pivotal one for regional peace. He called it a "unique, perhaps last, historic opportunity to achieve a Middle East free of anything that threatens its stability and progress."

El-Sisi reiterated Egypt's long-standing stance in favour of a negotiated two-state solution, saying it "must be achieved in a manner that ensures our shared vision of embodying joint cooperation among the peoples of the region, and cooperation among all countries."

Suspects shot after ignoring IDF warnings

Israeli forces in Gaza opened fire on suspects who approached them in the north of the Strip and crossed the yellow line on Tuesday, according to an IDF spokesperson. The spokesperson emphasised that this was a violation of the agreement and that attempts had been made to warn the suspects before firing. The suspects did not respond and continued to approach the forces, who then fired in order to eliminate the threat.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever