The newspaper "El Shorouk" reported that Algeria has refused to participate in the "Cairo Peace Summit" being held in Cairo today, Saturday, October 21, to discuss the Palestinian issue, amidst the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

The newspaper stated that "President Abdelmadjid Tebboune received an invitation from his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to participate in the summit scheduled for Saturday, October 21, 2023, in Cairo, to discuss developments and the future of the Palestinian issue and the peace process."

It also added: "However, based on reliable sources, Algeria decided not to participate in this meeting."

The newspaper mentioned that the same sources did not indicate the reasons behind the refusal to participate, but observers link this position to reports of an Israeli delegation participating in the summit while its forces continue to bombard the besieged sector, which is deprived of water, medicine, food, and electricity, by a decision from the Tel Aviv authorities.

The Algerian newspaper also pointed out that the "Cairo Peace Summit" is examining ways to halt the bombardment and aggression against the residents of Gaza, the issue of prisoners, and delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians, as well as reviving the peace process based on the two-state solution and the 1967 borders, at a time when the Israeli army is dropping thousands of tons of munitions on defenseless civilians in Gaza, especially after the horrific massacre against children, women, and patients in the Baptist hospital.

It clarified in this context that it is known that Algeria does not participate in meetings where Israel is a party, especially when it comes to the Palestinian issue, which contributes to understanding the background of this decision.

It is worth noting that the work of the International Cairo Peace Summit 2023 will begin on Saturday with the participation of many countries to discuss de-escalation in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories.

In addition to Algeria, Tunisia has also refused to attend the peace summit for the same reasons.