Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Cairo on Saturday for talks with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, state-owned MENA agency reported. The Palestinian ambassador to Cairo, Gamal Al-Shobaky, told the press that Abbas will meet with El-Sisi on Sunday to give him the latest updates on Palestinian issues, especially the issue of Israel pushing through with its plan to build new settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. The delegation accompanying Abbas also includes Maged Farah, the Palestinian intelligence chief. He added that El-Sisi and Abbas will discuss ongoing diplomatic efforts being made to preserve the importance of the Palestinian cause, along with the accelerating US efforts that aim to create peace through a two-state solution. Abbas is also set to discuss resolving the Palestinian conflict and accomplishing reconciliation, and has praised Egypt's role in supporting a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, the ambassador said. The Palestinian president's visit comes only a few days after a Hamas delegation visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the resumption of Palestinian national reconciliation efforts, which the elected head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh described as a "new page" in Egypt-Hamas relations. Egypt has pushed for the importance of reaching a fair and comprehensive political settlement to the Palestinian cause, arguing that it would contribute to the stability of the Middle East.
