For the first time in the Parliament’s history, under Abou El-Enein’s presidency, Egypt succeeded in issuing a decisive final statement condemning Israel’s aggression against Gaza, its settlement expansions aimed at annexing the West Bank, and its violations of state sovereignty — an unprecedented historic position for the Parliament amid a blazing Middle East crisis.
Addressing the delegations, Abou El-Enein, president of the PA-UfM, outlined the situation in Gaza with clarity, stressing that the essence of the Palestinian issue is the occupation itself, not the factions, and that Egypt considers any attempt to displace Palestinians or liquidate their cause a “red line” that will never be crossed.
He said: “No displacement, no liquidation, and no Palestinian state on any Arab land except Palestinian land itself,” warning that continued Israeli violations “fuel massive popular anger in the region, and as an Egyptian, I know the depth of my people’s rage.”
He also refuted allegations about the closure of the Rafah crossing, affirming that Egypt never closed its borders, and that Israel is the party obstructing aid deliveries from the Palestinian side. He noted that Cairo has provided 70 percent of all humanitarian aid to Gaza and received 13,500 wounded and companions for treatment — unprecedented support for the Palestinian people.
Citing President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s words, Abou El-Enein stressed that “peace is not born from bombing, nor imposed by force, nor achieved by normalization rejected by the peoples.” He called for justice and fairness as the foundation for any settlement, emphasizing that war and occupation only perpetuate a vicious cycle of violence.
He also presented the Parliament’s policy committee report that documented the reality of the situation in Gaza, describing what the Palestinian people are enduring as genocide.
During the opening of the first session, Dr. Hanafi Gebali, speaker of the Egyptian Parliament, affirmed that Egypt’s presidency of the PA-UfM comes at a critical moment requiring intensified dialogue. He stressed that the Egyptian Parliament entrusted Abou El-Enein with this role given his vast international parliamentary experience, hoping the Parliament would be “a lifeline” for Mediterranean peoples against a bleak fate if peace and cooperation fail.
The event went beyond formal meetings. Abou El-Enein accompanied delegates on a Red Sea cruise to showcase the natural beauty of Sharm El-Sheikh, followed by visits to the city museum housing over 5,000 artefacts, and to St. Catherine’s Monastery to highlight Egypt’s cultural and religious richness.
The Sharm El-Sheikh meetings drew remarkable diplomatic and media attention, especially as the final statement included a clear condemnation of Israel’s occupation and settlement expansion, along with calls for a comprehensive ceasefire and enabling humanitarian organizations to operate freely.
The final communiqué, considered the most significant in the Parliament’s history, succeeded under Abou El-Enein’s leadership in uniting members around a strong denunciation of Israeli crimes, including bombardment, starvation, siege, and forced displacement — classified as repeated violations of international and humanitarian law.
It stressed that continued occupation undermines prospects for peace and worsens humanitarian conditions, calling for safe humanitarian access to all civilians, rejecting any diplomatic blackmail or retaliatory measures against states recognizing Palestine.
The Parliament’s bureau affirmed the role of parliamentary diplomacy in halting conflicts and promoting stability, stressing that the two-state solution is the only viable framework for a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Through this historic stand in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt restored the PA-UfM to its essence — a platform for dialogue, a lever for just peace, and a unified voice rejecting occupation and upholding the rights of peoples, reflecting Egypt’s leadership in shaping a more stable regional future.
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