Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty receives European Commissioner for Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica in Cairo. Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry
Abdelatty made these remarks during a joint press conference in Cairo with Dubravka Šuica, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, following talks covering several bilateral and regional domains.
“I briefed the EU commissioner on the Egyptian-Arab-Islamic plan that will be adopted for Gaza reconstruction while the Palestinians remain in their places and on their land,” he said.
Arab and Islamic leaders will gather Tuesday in Cairo to present a unified Arab stance counter to US President Donald Trump's recent proposal suggesting that Washington takes control of Gaza, forcibly displaces its native Palestinian population to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab and Muslim countries, and builds a Middle Eastern Riviera.
This colonialist-style proposal sparked a global outcry, leading Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians, and Arab countries to reject it immediately.
Moreover, Arab leaders reaffirmed that establishing a Palestinian state remains the only fair resolution to the Palestinian cause.
During the presser, Abdelatty said the reconstruction plan would not be shared with foreign parties until the summit approves it.
He also stressed the need for immediate recovery programmes in the heavily devastated strip and a political process that leads to establishing a Palestinian state “to ensure cycles of violence do not recur.”
"The Israeli aggression we've seen over the past months was not the first and won't be the last as long as no political agreement appears on the horizon ... to achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their state," he emphasized.
Egypt’s top diplomat also asserted that political action is the only way to restore security and stability in Israel and the region.
Furthermore, Abdelatty emphasized that Egypt is counting on the EU to push ahead with consolidating the three-phase ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel and ensure each party fulfils its obligations.
Israel has been delaying talks for the second phase, which includes ending the war and Israel's military withdrawal from Gaza, trying to extend the first phase to secure more captive releases in return for nothing.
On Sunday, Israel approved a proposal by Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a 42-day extension of the initial truce – without a commitment to ending the war or fully withdrawing from the strip, which contradicts the original deal.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel suspended the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza to pressure Hamas to accept the extension proposal.
"There is no alternative for each party's commitment to fully implementing what was signed in the January agreement," Abdelatty affirmed.
He added that the second phase talks should start immediately as the first phase has ended.
Additionally, FM Abdelatty stressed that Egypt will continue its efforts to begin negotiations for the second phase and that using aid as a starvation weapon and collective punishment in Gaza is “unacceptable."
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