Sisi stresses importance of European role to support Israeli-Palestinian calm

CAIRO – 11 October 2023: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has stressed the importance of the European and international role in supporting the path of calm and negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides amid the current ongoing escalation.

Sisi made the remarks as he received on Wednesday Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani.

During the meeting, Sisi and Tajani stress the need for the cessation of the Israeli-Palestinian escalation to ensure regional stability.

They also highlighted the need for fair and comprehensive peace between Palestinians and Israelis based on the two-state solution as a matter of utmost necessity for the region’s stability.

The Italian foreign minister told Sisi that his country relies on Egypt’s vital role with regard to achieving Palestinian-Israeli calm.

For his part, Sisi confirmed that Egypt is making every effort and is intensifying contacts to contain the Palestinian-Israeli situation and prevent it from getting worse.

Sisi stressed the need to stop the bloodshed, protect civilians, avoid targeting them and prevent the deterioration of the Palestinian humanitarian situation.

Over the past days, Israel has imposed a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million inhabitants, cutting off supplies of fuel, food, water, and electricity.

In conjunction, Israel has intensified its airstrikes in Gaza and amassed troops nearby in retaliation for a surprise attack by Hamas fighters on Israeli cities, which have killed more than 1,200 Israelis.

The Israeli attacks against the strip have killed at least 900 people, including dozens of children, according to figures released by the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

Since the start of the current conflict, Egypt has been calling for both sides of the conflict to prioritize de-escalation and exercise utmost restraint.

Egypt has also made intensive contacts with international influential parties as well the Palestinian and Israeli sides to contain the situation.

Egypt has warned of the conflict’s consequences on the lives of Palestinian and Israeli civilians and its potential risks on the region’s security and stability.