Egyptians and foreigners attend the 50th Cairo International Book Fair in Cairo, Egypt on January 25, 2019. Photo: AFP

A trilateral meeting gathering leaders of Palestine, Egypt and Jordan will be held in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Thursday to accelerate the peace process with Israel, said a senior Palestinian official on Wednesday.

In an interview, Azzam al-Ahmad, member of the executive committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told Xinhua that the summit will be attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. "The summit will discuss the Palestinian issue and the issue of moving forward the peace process with Israel, to get out of the political stalemate that has existed for so many years," Ahmad said, referring to the peace talks with Israel which stalled in 2014.

Palestine, Egypt, and the Kingdom of Jordan have direct ties with Israel, he said, adding that the three countries' leaders will discuss carrying out a trilateral effort with the Israeli side "to protect the principle of the two-state solution from collapsing due to the endless settlement activities."

"The summit in Cairo will also discuss the possibilities of playing a unified Arab role for the sake of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people, and also lobbying for international support for resuming peace during the coming General Assembly meeting of the United Nations," Ahmad said.

The Palestinian leadership is taking action on the international level to push for an international conference for peace in the Middle East under the auspices of the international Quartet, which comprises the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the UN, he added. 

"It is necessary for the Quartet to carry out its duties before holding the session of the UN General Assembly, where President Abbas will chair the State of Palestine delegation and will address a speech during the session," Ahmad said.

Ahmad called on the international community "to get out of all restrictions imposed by the Cold War period and its aftermath, and to have respect for international legitimacy and its resolutions."