Sisi and Lula call for Gaza ceasefire and lasting peace between Palestine and Israel

CAIRO – 15 February 2024: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah and his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have agreed on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza as they held a meeting in Cairo on Thursday.

In a press conference, both presidents highlighted the need for the cessation of Israeli hostilities in the strip, which has lasted for more than four months in the wake of the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israeli cities.

“I agreed with President Lula on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of captives and prisoners, and the entry of the largest possible amount of aid into the strip to preserve the lives of civilians,” Sisi said in a press conference with Lula.

He added that he and Lula also emphasize the importance of paving the way for the post-war phase to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Sisi commended Brazil for recognizing the Palestinian state.

For his part, Lula reiterated Brazil’s strong condemnation of the attack carried out by Hamas on Israel as “terrorist.” However, he stressed that this does not justify the Israeli actions, which claimed the lives of women and children.

He voiced rejection of the Israeli actions in Gaza as unprecedented.

Lula said that the escalating violence against more than two million Palestinians in Gaza is unacceptable, hailing Egypt’s role as crucial to find a solution to this conflict.

The Brazilian leader called for urgent measures to implement a ceasefire in Gaza, allowing for the entry of sustainable aid and the safe evacuation of all hostages.

He emphasized the necessity of the establishment of a Palestinian state, within agreed and recognized borders, to achieve lasting peace.

 

He confirmed Brazil’s support to South Africa’s case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Lula also highlighted Israel’s violation of all resolutions adopted by the United Nations regarding the war in Gaza.

In this regard, Lula called for involving new countries in the Security Council to achieve representation in Africa and South America. He underlined the pressing need for a new geopolitical structure within the Security Council.

Additionally, he stressed that the veto power currently held by several countries in the Security Council has to be eliminated, urging UN members to prioritize the defense of peace rather than encouraging warfare.

Meanwhile, Lula thanked President Sisi for Egypt's efforts in facilitating the evacuation of Brazilian citizens who were stranded in Gaza.

Thanks to these efforts, Brazil was able to successfully evacuate and repatriate 2,000 individuals from Gaza, he added.

Elevating bilateral relations

Lula’s visit to Cairo is his first since taking office in January 2023, marking 100 years of diplomatic relations between both countries.

During the press conference, Lula said he has suggested elevating the Egyptian-Brazilian relationship to the level of strategic partnership.

President Sisi expressed gratitude to Lula for his true will reflected during their discussions to develop relations between Egypt and Brazil in various fields.

Sisi said he agreed with Lula to develop relations between both countries in various political, economic, cultural, industrial and agricultural fields.

 

Sisi and Lula also agreed to form a joint high-level committee to coordinate cooperation topics between the two countries.

Lula called for encouraging Egyptian-Brazilian trade. He said that the trade exchange between the two nations, which currently stands at $2 billion, is relatively small considering the significance of the two countries’ economies.

Lula, however, noted that Egypt is Brazil's second-largest trading partner in Africa.

During Lula’s visit, Egypt and Brazil signed agreements in science and technology, agriculture, and aviation.

Fostering global cooperation

Sisi said he received an invitation from Lula to visit Brazil and attend the G20 Summit this year.

Lula said Brazil relies on Egypt's support in the G20 meetings to achieve progress in the initiatives of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty and the Global Mobilization against Climate Change.

Moreover, Lula hailed Egypt’s joining of the BRICS bloc of developing economies.

Lula noted that Brazil is committed, through BRICS, to strengthening trade relations and investments with member countries, aiming to avoid a global reliance on a single currency.

Lula said that Brazil supports Egypt's initiative for a weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

He added that Brazil seeks Egypt's support to benefit from their experience in organizing the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh.