Sisi at Cairo Summit for Peace: End of Palestinian cause will never be at expense of Egypt

CAIRO – 21 October 2023: In his opening speech at the Cairo Summit for Peace, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi declared that eliminating the Palestinian cause without a just solution will never happen and that will never happen at the expense of Egypt.

“I want to state it clearly and unequivocally to the world, and articulate in sincere terms the will of all the Egyptian people, every single Egyptian: that the liquidation of the Palestinian cause without a just solution is beyond the realm of possibility, and in all cases it will never happen at the expense of Egypt, absolutely not,” said President Sisi

The President affirmed that Egypt did not close the Rafah border crossing but the Israeli shelling hindered the entry of aid to Gaza. He added that he had agreed with American President Joe Biden to operate the crossing on a sustainable basis, under the supervision of and coordination with the United Nations, the UNRWA and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

“The aid and relief shall be distributed under the supervision of the United Nations to the people in the Gaza Strip,” President Sisi said.

He added that the world is watching a catastrophic humanitarian crisis affecting 2.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.

“Egypt is telling you in all candor and sincerity: that the solution for the Palestinian cause is not displacement, and is not by forcibly transferring the entire people to other regions; the one and only solution is justice, with the Palestinians obtaining their legitimate rights for self-determination, and leading a proud and safe life in an independent state on their land like the rest of the peoples of the earth,” said President Sisi.

President Sisi added that Egypt is expressing its deep shock that the world is standing by idly, while the catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfolds. Two and a half million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are being subjected to collective punishment. They are living under siege and facing starvation and ferocious pressure of forced displacement.

“Egypt rejects the relocation of the Palestinians from Gaza to Sinai as it aims at eliminating the Palestinian cause,” he affirmed.

Sisi called for adopting a solution to the Palestinian cause through a roadmap, including delivery of aid to Gaza people, de-escalation of violence and a ceasefire, and then a revival of the peace process to reach a two-state solution. He called for that this solution through working with the Palestinian authority.

The New Administrative Capital hosted on Saturday Egypt’s Summit for peace with an expected wide international participation to reaching a solution for the ongoing violence in Gaza that started 14 days ago and resulted so far in killing more than 4,137 Palestinian and injuring 13,000 others.

The call that was made by President Abdel Fattah al Sisi on October 15 during a meeting of Egypt’s National Security Council was praised and welcomes internationally, especially with the continuing escalations in the Gaza strip and the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people.