This week Egypt repeated its rejection of Israeli attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land or liquidate their cause and called again for an urgent ceasefire and greater access for aid to Gaza.
In a press conference with European leaders in Cairo on Sunday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi called on them to press for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and secure greater access for humanitarian aid to ease the devastating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
He said he agreed with European leaders’ rejection of any Israeli military operation in Rafah which would serve only to aggravate the already desperate humanitarian situation.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who attended the press conference alongside Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said a full-scale military operation in Rafah “needs to be avoided at all costs”.
The press conference was held on the sidelines of the European-Egyptian Summit which aims to promote relations between Egypt and the EU.
The war in Gaza topped the list of regional and international issues addressed by the European leaders.
During the talks President Al-Sisi stressed that the Palestinian cause must be approached in an integrated manner that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state on pre-5 June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“Procrastination in resolving this issue has exposed the region and the world to instability,” he said.
President Al-Sisi reiterated the same concerns about Gaza and the need to reach an immediate ceasefire during a visit to the Police Academy last weekend where he also warned against the dangers of any Israeli offensive in Rafah.
Last week, the Israeli army announced its intention to relocate 1.4 million displaced Palestinians currently in Rafah to designated “humanitarian islands” in the middle of the Strip. The announcement was widely seen as a precursor to a military assault on the southern city.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning continued Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians in Gaza “which claimed the lives of more than 60 martyrs during the past 24 hours” and warned that carrying out any military operations in Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge, would be “a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law”.
Egypt also reiterated calls for international powers and the UN Security Council to shoulder their legal and humanitarian responsibilities and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling on them to act to prevent the displacement of Palestinians, end Israeli violations against civilians and deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Strip.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri called on Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by opening the six crossings under its control. The appeal was made during a meeting with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares last week.
In an address to the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council about women and girls in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin, Egypt’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, said the catastrophic situation faced by women in Gaza was a stain on the conscience of humanity and requires immediate intervention.
Since 7 October more than one million women and girls have been displaced in Gaza and 70 per cent of Palestinians who have been killed in the war are women and children.
In a development that may contribute to partially easing the suffering of civilians in Gaza, a ship sailed carrying 200 tons of food arrived in Gaza from Cyprus on Saturday.
“Egypt appreciates and welcomes every effort aimed at alleviating human suffering for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” a statement by the Foreign Ministry said.
While using the sea corridor to deliver aid is welcome, humanitarian officials say it is not a realistic alternative for ground access when it comes to delivering the quantities of supplies that are urgently needed.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the US, has been trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas for months.
The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza has killed at least 31,645 Palestinians and injured 73,676, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and at least 576,000 people, a quarter of the population, are on the brink of famine, say UN officials.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 21 March, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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