During the Extraordinary Arab Summit in Cairo, El-Sisi said the aggression on Gaza is “a stain in the history of humanity.”
“Humanity's memory will linger for a long time for what happened in the Gaza Strip over the past months due to the absence of justice."
Israel’s war on Gaza resulted in a mass genocide, leaving over 160,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, mostly women and children, and over 14,000 missing.
This Cairo summit is the second Arab meeting in two weeks on the Palestinian cause and the situation in Gaza. It follows the Arab consultative meeting held in Riyadh on 21 February, which included leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt and Jordan.
This is also the third emergency summit on Gaza in 16 months, following the two Arab-Islamic summits held in Riyadh in November 2023 and 2024.
Gaza: Choice between annihilation and displacement
El-Sisi noted that the aggression on Gaza was aimed at destroying lives and livelihoods, forcing the population into a grim choice between annihilation and displacement.
He added that Egypt will not participate in such injustice but is confronting it, based on its historical position that supports the Palestinian people's rights on their land, “until we lift the injustice from them.”
He also praised the Palestinian people's resilience and attachment to their land.
Moreover, El-Sisi cited the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, established in 1979, as an example of initiating a peace path after years of war.
He said Egypt initiated peace in the region nearly five decades ago. It knows only a justice-based peace that protects resources and territories and preserves sovereignty.
El-Sisi highlighted that this commitment is enshrined in the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, which mandates respect for each party's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Thus, it is a legal obligation to avoid creating conditions that uproot populations from their lands.
Gaza reconstruction plan
El-Sisi said Egypt has prepared a comprehensive plan for Gaza reconstruction in collaboration with the Palestinian leadership and international organizations. This plan begins with urgent relief and recovery efforts and culminates in the long-term rebuilding of the territory.
He also called for supporting this plan, affirming that it aims to uphold the Palestinian people's right to rebuild their homeland and remain on its territories.
El-Sisi asserted that such a plan must be implemented alongside a security and political peace process supported by the international community to reach a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause.
Additionally, he announced that a conference on Gaza reconstruction will be held in Cairo in April, and a fund will be established for reconstruction efforts.
El-Sisi also urged “all free and friendly Islamic nations to actively participate in this initiative,” noting that contributing to this fund is a humanitarian duty toward every Palestinian child and family.
In addition, he condemned the attacks and violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including military incursions, settlement expansion, and land seizures.
The Egyptian president also reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of continued Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, violation of its sanctity, and any attempts to change the status quo.
Call for a lasting peace solution
"Jerusalem is a symbol of our identity and cause," the president said.
He emphasized that peace in the Middle East is unattainable without resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state.
He also affirmed that the cycle of violence and suffering of the Palestinian people for over seven decades mandates a realistic approach.
“Peace cannot be imposed by force,” El-Sisi stressed. He said an independent Palestinian state, based on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, must be established alongside guarantees for Israel's security.
“We believe President Trump can facilitate this, given our shared desire to end tensions,” El-Sisi concluded.
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