In his speech, El-Sisi stressed the importance of binding Israel to end the siege on Gaza and cease the use of starvation as a weapon against the people in the strip.
He also highlighted the necessity for Israel to remove all obstacles for the immediate, sustainable, and sufficient delivery of humanitarian and relief aid to Gaza through all borders.
The Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza Conference, jointly organized by the United Nations, Egypt and Jordan on the Dead Sea coast, aims to mobilize international support for humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip.
Several world leaders, including from Europe, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have attended the conference.
Delivering a speech at the conference, Guterres called for the unconditional release of captives held in Gaza and implementation of a ceasefire.
Return of detainees, displaced
In his speech, El-Sisi called for the immediate release of all captives and detainees and full respect to the international law and international humanitarian law regarding protecting civilians.
The president urged providing necessary conditions for the immediate return home of displaced Palestinians.
El-Sisi said the Palestinian people in Gaza anticipate today’s meeting to offer them “a glimpse of hope in a different tomorrow that restores their shattered human dignity and their legitimate right to live in peace.”
He added that the people in Gaza also look forward to this gathering bringing back to them “some trust in the international law and in the justice and credibility of the so-called rules-based international order.”
Rafah withdrawal
El-Sisi urged belligerents not to target infrastructure, UN staff, or any workers in the medical and service sectors across Gaza, in accordance with the provisions of international laws.
He called for securing the necessary circumstances for the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid to people throughout Gaza.
El-Sisi said the Israeli operation in Rafah city in southern Gaza has hindered the humanitarian aid flows, which primarily entered through the Rafah Border Crossing.
Hence, he stressed the need for Israel to withdraw from Rafah city.
Regarding aid deliveries, the president called for providing required support and funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) so that they can carry out their vital role in assisting Palestinian civilians.
El-Sisi underlined the importance of implementing the UN Security Council resolutions related to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including Resolution 2720.
He called for establishing UN mechanisms to facilitate the entry and distribution of aid in Gaza.
Retaliatory war
“The innocent Palestinian people in Gaza, surrounded by killing, starvation and intimidation, and exposed to a moral and material blockade that is shameful to the global human conscience, look at us with sadness and hope,” El-Sisi said.
El-Sisi blamed Israel for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, affirming that Egypt has repeatedly warned of the dangers of this war and its serious repercussions, including the Rafah operation.
“The responsibility for the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza lies directly with the Israeli side,” El-Sisi said. “It is a deliberate result of a destructive retaliatory war against the strip, its people, infrastructure, and medical system.”
El-Sisi emphasized that Israel has used starvation and blockade as weapons to render the sector uninhabitable and forcibly displace its residents from their lands, ignoring international conventions and ethical humanitarian standards.
The president welcomed Resolution 2735 adopted by the UN Security Council on Monday, calling for its full implementation alongside other relevant resolutions.
Enforcing two-state solution
El-Sisi called for implementing the two-state solution, which grants the Palestinian people their legitimate right in establishing their independent and viable state.
He highlighted the need to establish a Palestinian state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, while enjoying full membership in the United Nations.
“The only way to establish peace, stability and coexistence in the region is to address the roots of the conflict through the two-state solution,” El-Sisi said.
El-Sisi commended the recognition of the state of Palestine by Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia, calling on other world countries to follow the same path.
“I invite the rest of the world countries to follow suit and stand on the right side of history, the side of justice, peace, security, and hope."
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