Egyptian diplomat Salaheldin
Salaheldin added that if the Palestinians were forcibly displaced to Egypt, they would continue their resistance and fight, and Israel would retaliate. In this case, it would retaliate against Egypt, jeopardising the Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
Trump proposal
Salaheldin's remarks came hours after US President Donald Trump announced a shocking colonialist plan to take over the Gaza Strip and permanently displace its native Palestinian population. His announcement drew immediate regional and international condemnation.
Moreover, the Egyptian diplomat emphasized Egypt's firm rejection of any forcible displacement of the Palestinian people out of their land, Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem, affirming that the Palestinians will never forsake their stolen land.
"No one has the right to deport those people from their lands forcibly. Otherwise, it would become a crime, an ethnic cleansing crime," he stated.
"There is no probability of this happening," Salaheldin said, stressing that Trump's recent proposal about displacing Palestinians out of Gaza to Egypt, Jordan, and other nations would endanger regional peace.
"No one can take over Gaza from its native people, the Palestinians," he emphasized.
Gaza reconstruction
Furthermore, Salaheldin said Trump's proposal reminded him of the US when it proposed the Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany after World War II in the 1940s.
"Coincidentally, Western Berlin was the same size as Gaza and had the same population size, about two million people after another two million died during the war," he said.
However, he noted that the US had helped the Germans rebuild Western Berlin, adding that the Palestinians can do the same without having to leave Gaza.
Salaheldin also highlighted the need for a real reconstruction plan to which everybody can contribute, including Americans, Europeans, Gulf states, and Egypt.
"Egypt is willing to take part in that," he affirmed.
Ceasefire agreement
Regarding the recent phone conversation between President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Trump, Salaheldin said El-Sisi explained the Egyptian stance quite clearly.
"If we would like to build on the ceasefire that has already started, we should be talking now about the second phase, about a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza," he emphasized.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of empowering the Palestinian Authority to make sure Gaza would never be a threat to Israel or anybody.
Salaheldin also highlighted the necessity of linking Gaza to the West Bank and Jerusalem in a two-state solution, without which there will be no chance for peace in the region.
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