Sisi says he hopes for Trump’s role in establishing long-awaited Palestinian state

BY

Amr Mohamed Kandil

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Wed, 19 Feb 2025 - 02:59 GMT

BY

Amr Mohamed Kandil

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 - 02:59 GMT

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi delivers a speech at a luncheon hosted in his honor by the King and Queen of Spain in Madrid, 19 February 2025 – Egyptian Presidency

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi delivers a speech at a luncheon hosted in his honor by the King and Queen of Spain in Madrid, 19 February 2025 – Egyptian Presidency

CAIRO – 19 February 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed his hope on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump would support establishing a Palestinian state, during a speech at a luncheon hosted in his honor by the King and Queen of Spain in Madrid on Wednesday.

“We look forward to President Trump playing the role we expect from him to achieve this long-awaited goal of establishing a Palestinian state that lives alongside Israel, and to see peaceful coexistence among all peoples in the Middle East,” Sisi said.

The president commended Spain's historic support for the Palestinian cause, affirming Egypt's commitment to continue collaborating with Spain to find a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He urged Spain to continue advocating for the complete implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of captives and detainees, and the flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip to address the unprecedented humanitarian disaster there.

Moreover, Sisi called for the immediate launch of the reconstruction process in Gaza without displacing its residents, as well as for an end to aggressive practices against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has brokered the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and is working to develop a reconstruction plan that does not displace residents while also preventing the agreement from collapsing.

Last week, Egypt and Qatar successfully got the ceasefire back on track after a dispute threatened its continuation, following Hamas's initial announcement to delay the release of Israeli captives due to Israeli violations.

Hamas’s shocking remarks triggered angry comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who threatened to resume the war. While the problem was solved shortly before last Saturday’s release, the dispute has spotlighted the vulnerability of the ongoing agreement.

Egypt is leading efforts to create a multi-phase reconstruction plan to replace a widely condemned proposal by Trump, which aimed to "take over" Gaza and permanently displace its two million Palestinian residents to Egypt and Jordan.

Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League—which includes all 22 Arab countries—and the European Union have all opposed this proposal, which jeopardizes the globally advocated two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In mid-February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States is eager to receive any "better plan" for Gaza from the Arab states but warned that any proposal leaving Hamas in place "is going to be a problem."

Hamas and Israel prepare to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire, which includes a permanent end to hostilities, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas since October 2023.

Such steps would pave the way for the reconstruction process, expected to be part of the final phase of the agreement.

The UN estimates that rebuilding Gaza and the occupied West Bank will require more than $53 billion over the next ten years, including $20 billion over the coming three years alone.

The ceasefire agreement, which took effect on 19 January, has halted over 15 months of Israeli war that killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, and devastated the enclave.

Under the ceasefire, Hamas has released 24 captives it captured from Israel, with more than 70 captives still held there, including dead ones. In return, Israel has released a total of 1,135 Palestinian prisoners, including many serving life sentences.

Furthermore, Hamas is set to return the bodies of four Israeli captives on Thursday including the Bibas family and will also release six living Israeli captives on Saturday, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

SPAIN VISIT

President Sisi has embarked on an official visit to Spain, where he met with the Spanish king and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to discuss regional developments, especially the Palestinian cause, and explore means to enhance bilateral relations.

At the luncheon, Sisi underscored the need to start a political process in Syria that includes all segments of the Syrian people, leading as soon as possible to the adoption of a constitution for the country and the conduct of elections.

The president expressed firm rejection of the occupation of Syrian territories by Israel or any other nation.

Sisi stressed the importance of levaraging peaceful means to end the conflicts at both the regional and global arenas.

"We look forward to the end of the conflicts and crises affecting our world, whether in Sudan, Libya, Yemen, or elsewhere, as well as the war in Ukraine, through peaceful means that preserve the sovereignty of those countries and the resources of their peoples."

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