Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly speaks during the Egyptian cabinet meeting. Photo courtesy of Egyptian cabinet Facebook page.
Speaking at a press conference following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Madbouly emphasised Egypt's continuous efforts to deliver humanitarian aid. "Egypt has not hesitated for a single day to provide relief to our brothers in Palestine," he asserted.
Madbouly reiterated President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's recent remarks, highlighting Egypt's "firm stance against any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause through schemes," a reference to deportation attempts.
Furthermore, the Egyptian FM directly addressed what he called an attempt to "export" blame onto Egypt, stating, "There has not been a day or a moment where Egypt stopped seeking to bring aid into Gaza and supporting our people there."
He criticised the deliberate attempts by some to portray the Rafah crossing simply as a gate that Egypt keeps shut and whose opening would resolve the issue of aid flow.
In contrast, Madbouly clarified that the Rafah crossing, intended primarily for individuals, has two sides, only one of which lies in Egypt. The other side, he added, is located in Gaza and is currently controlled by Israeli forces.
The Egyptian FM further explained that the Palestinian side of the crossing has been significantly destroyed and that Israeli forces established a buffer zone that severely restricts movement, including that of Palestinian residents.
He affirmed that despite these challenges, Cairo persistently brought in aid through both the Rafah crossing and the Karm Abu Salem crossing.
Madbouly pointed out Israeli intransigence in opening the crossing. He stressed that up to 1,200 aid trucks remain stalled for days and even weeks in front of ports awaiting permission to enter Gaza.
The Egyptian FM also asserted that Egypt has incurred massive losses due to the consequences of the Israeli war in Gaza, including over a 60 percent drop in Suez Canal revenues. He affirmed that despite these losses, Egypt never hesitated to assist Gaza's population.
In addition, Madbouly reiterated Cairo's firm stance that "there will be no permanent and sustainable solution, no permanent and sustainable peace in this region except with a two-state solution."
Similarly, Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar outlined Egypt's comprehensive medical response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
He noted that since the beginning of the crisis, Egypt established a committee within the health ministry, immediately preparing 37 hospitals across eight governorates, including key facilities in North Sinai, to receive the injured and patients from Gaza.
Abdel Ghaffar added that the number of hospitals handling Palestinian cases subsequently grew to 300 across 26 governorates within 662 days. He indicated that 172 hospitals in 24 governorates are currently actively providing medical care for Palestinian patients.
The health minister also noted that Egypt has deployed over 38,000 doctors from all specialities and nearly 25,000 nursing staff over the past 21 months to treat patients from Gaza.
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