Egyptian FM meets wife of jailed Palestinian political figure amid prison tensions in Israel

Egyptian FM meets wife of jailed Palestinian political figure amid prison tensions in Israel
Foreign affairs minister Sameh Shoukry stressed Egypt’s tireless efforts to promote calm in the occupied territories and revive the peace process. (AFP)
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Updated 13 March 2023
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Egyptian FM meets wife of jailed Palestinian political figure amid prison tensions in Israel

Egyptian FM meets wife of jailed Palestinian political figure amid prison tensions in Israel

CAIRO: The Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry met with Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Marwan Barghouti, a senior Fatah figure currently imprisoned by Israel, at the lMinistry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo.

During the meeting, Shoukry highlighted Egypt’s tireless efforts to promote calm in the occupied territories and revive the peace process, with the aim of meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesman for the ministry, said Shoukry affirmed Egypt’s support for the well-being of Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons.

Barghouti expressed her appreciation for the Egyptian efforts in support of Palestinian issues at various levels, as well as Cairo’s solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.

Her meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister comes amid an ongoing campaign of disobedience by Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails, which began since Feb. 14, over policies proposed by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s minister of national security, including a draft new death penalty law.

Ben-Gvir had launched a campaign against the prisoners and issued decisions that include prisoner transfers, the closure of prison departments and bakeries, a reduction in bathing resources and introducing unfair constraints on visits by members of the Knesset.

Palestinian prisoners rights organizations said the inmates will continue with these steps and likely announce the start of an open hunger strike on the first day of Ramadan.

Earlier this month, Shoukry said that the Palestinian issue occupies a central place in the Arab world, indicating that Egypt has spared no effort in supporting the Palestinian people, stressing the condemnation of Israeli human rights violations.