In an interview with the Middle East News Agency (MENA), Khallaf stressed that such attempts are designed to divert attention from Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories toward Egypt.
He described allegations of Egyptian inaction as an "absurd claim" and far from reality.
The narrative of Egypt's declining role in the Palestinian issue, he said, represents "political nonsense" and a lack of understanding of its complexity and key actors.
Addressing claims that Cairo’s role is waning in favour of other regional players—and whether Cairo believes there are deliberate attempts to exclude it from managing the issue—Khallaf said Egypt does not view the emergence of new actors as competition but as complementary to its efforts.
Egypt’s role, he stressed, is “unique, historical, and irreplaceable,” shaped by geographical, cultural, and emotional ties with Palestine and an institutional memory “unmatched in the region.”
The Palestinian cause, he added, remains deeply rooted in Egyptian society: “It is mistaken to believe that with time and successive generations, the Palestinian issue will fade away.”
Events of the past 18 months, he said, proved it remains a vibrant humanitarian and moral issue worldwide, particularly among younger generations “striving for justice.”
Egypt's mediation efforts
On Egypt's mediation to reach a Gaza ceasefire and stop Israel's starvation war on the territory, Khallaf said Cairo continues to seek a truce, expand humanitarian aid access, and facilitate captive-prisoner exchanges in cooperation with Qatar.
“Talks have seen ups and downs since Israel failed to implement the January ceasefire deal,” he said. “The ball is now in Israel's court after the Egyptian-Qatari proposal was presented.”
Khallaf expressed hope Israel would respond positively to the Cairo-Doha truce proposal—already approved by Hamas—which calls for a 60-day ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and exchanges of captives and prisoners.
Khallaf noted Egypt has provided 70 percent of all aid entering Gaza since Israel launched its genocidal war in October 2023, hosted an international ministerial humanitarian conference in December 2024 with over 100 delegations, and received 18,560 wounded Gazans in Egyptian hospitals.
Cairo has also drafted a recovery and reconstruction plan to block displacement schemes and rallied broad international backing. It plans to host a donor conference to secure funding.
“Any suggestion that Egypt is negligent in its role is nothing but a farce, detached from reality,” Khallaf added.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty earlier stressed Gaza would be run by “15 Palestinian technocrats under the Palestinian Authority (PA) supervision” for six months, affirming the unity of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Despite the absence of a truce, Khallaf said Egyptian efforts have secured the delivery of 550,000 tonnes of aid since the outbreak of the war.
Recognizing Palestine
On the recent wave of European recognition of Palestine, Khallaf called it historic and a critical step.
He urged countries that have not recognized a Palestinian state to do so, noting Egyptian diplomacy’s role in encouraging European moves.
He said President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Egypt influenced France’s stance, and Cairo’s outreach helped prompt recognitions by Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia.
France, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Malta are expected to follow by September during the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
“History will record that under the most anti-Palestinian Israeli government, the largest wave of recognition by influential Western countries occurred,” he said, calling it proof of growing global rejection of Israeli policies.
According to AFP, at least 145 of the 193 United Nations (UN) members now recognize or plan to recognize a Palestinian state.
Egypt-EU relations
On ties with Europe, Khallaf cited the March 2024 upgrade of relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
This includes political coordination, trade, migration, security, and development.
He noted similar partnerships with France, Greece, Denmark, Spain, and the UK, with European Union (EU) trade with Egypt rising from 23 billion euros in 2014 to 32.5 billion euros in 2024.
More European investment is expected in the coming period.
Khallaf said the partnership reflects shared interests, especially in energy security, counterterrorism, migration, and economic cooperation.
Egypt-US relations
On Abdelatty's late-July visit to Washington, Khallaf said Egypt’s partnership with the US remains vital.
“Regular interaction with the US administration and Congress is essential,” he said, to address unprecedented regional challenges and share Cairo’s perspective.
He stressed Washington values Egypt’s institutional expertise and regional standing.
During the 29–31 July visit, Abdelatty met Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Middle East stability, a Gaza ceasefire, and humanitarian access.
Rubio thanked Egypt for its role in securing captive releases. Abdelatty also met senior senators, including Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker, to discuss Gaza, Sudan, and Egypt’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) water-security concerns.
The trip, Cairo said, deepened the strategic relationship and came ahead of the Bright Star 2025 joint exercises in Egypt, underscoring defence cooperation.
On Africa
In regard to Africa, Khallaf said the continent remains a central pillar of Egypt’s foreign policy, with the past year among the most dynamic in engagement.
Abdelatty made 21 visits to African states, including a recent West Africa tour with 30 Egyptian business leaders from sectors such as construction, agriculture, mining, and energy.
Business forums were held in each of the five countries visited.
Khallaf said this “practical economic diplomacy” supports Egypt’s economy and marks a strategic turning point in Africa ties.
Development and economic cooperation are now at the forefront of policy, reflected in expanded roles for institutions like the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD), the Export Credit Guarantee Co. of Egypt, and the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding.
On Libya
On Libya, Khallaf reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to a political solution, citing national security interests.
Since launching the Cairo Declaration in June 2020, Egypt has worked across multiple tracks to support Libya’s unity and reject foreign-imposed divisions.
In a statement on Saturday by the Foreign Ministry, Egypt welcomed the announcement by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya on a roadmap to resolve the Libyan crisis. It noted in particular the provision on forming an interim government tasked with preparing national elections in Libya within a timeframe of 12 to 18 months.
Egypt stressed the need to adhere to the electoral timeline to ensure a credible political process that meets the Libyan people’s aspirations for stability and development, while unifying state institutions under a new government. It also reaffirmed full support for UN efforts to restore security and stability in Libya while safeguarding the country’s unity and sovereignty.
On Sudan
On Sudan’s war, Khallaf said Egypt insists on a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a Sudanese-owned transitional process.
He pointed out that Egypt is acting on both political and humanitarian tracks to settle a crisis now in its third year and rejects external interference or parallel entities undermining Sudan’s unity.
“We continue our contacts with all relevant Sudanese actors to emphasize our vision for a solution,” he said, stressing that stability must be restored “in a way that meets the aspirations of our Sudanese brothers.”
The UN described the situation in Sudan as "the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis," with nearly 25 million Sudanese suffering dire food insecurity and over 10 million internally displaced across the country.
Over 3.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries, with more than 1.5 million arriving in Egypt since the war began in April 2023.
In May, Abdelatty stated that the total number of Sudanese residing in Egypt was 5.5 million, the largest portion of Sudanese who have fled their country since the outbreak of the war.
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