Palestinian President at Cairo Summit for Peace: We will never leave our lands

CAIRO – 21 October 2023: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned against attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their lands to other countries, saying “We totally reject the deportation of Palestinians from Gaza. We will not leave.”

“We reiterate our complete rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides, and demand the release of all civilians, prisoners, and detainees. We affirm that we are committed to international legitimacy, the signed agreements, and the adoption of political and legal methods to achieve our national goals. These are the policies of the State of Palestine and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,” he added.

The New Administrative Capital hosted on Saturday Egypt’s Summit for peace with an expected wide international participation aiming at reaching a solution for the ongoing violence in Gaza that started 14 days ago and resulted so far in killing more than 4,473 Palestinian and injuring more than 14,000 others.

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

In his opening speech at the Cairo Summit for Peace, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi declared that ending the Palestinian cause without a just solution will never happen, especially not at the expense of Egypt.

“I want to state it clearly and unequivocally to the world; the will of every single Egyptian screams that ending 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 El-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 shall be distributed under the supervision of the United Nations to the people in the Gaza Strip,” President Sisi said, stressing that the world is watching a catastrophic humanitarian crisis affecting 2.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.

“Egypt is telling you in all sincerity that displacement is not a solution for the Palestinian cause; the only solution is justice, where the Palestinians obtain their legitimate right to self-determination, and lead a proud and safe life in an independent state on their land like all the peoples of the world,” said President Sisi.

President Sisi added that Egypt is in deep shock that the world is standing by idly, while this 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 this primarily aims at eliminating the Palestinian cause,” he affirmed.

El-Sisi called for resolving the Palestinian cause through a roadmap, including the delivery of aid to Gaza, de-escalation of violence and a ceasefire, and the revival of the peace process to reach a two-state solution. He highlighted the necessity of working with the Palestinian authority to reach such a roadmap.