Gaza humanitarian situation cannot tolerate further delay in reaching ceasefire: Sisi

CAIRO - March 6, 2024: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has called upon the international community to fulfill its inherent responsibility in safeguarding Palestinians from the ongoing humanitarian disaster they are enduring.

Sisi received a delegation from the United Kingdom House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, led by the committee’s Chair Alicia Kearns, on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Sisi reiterated that the humanitarian situation in Gaza will not tolerate further delay in definitive solutions towards a ceasefire.

Sisi emphasized that a lasting and just resolution to the tensions in the Middle East lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, in accordance with international resolutions.

He also cautioned against the spillover of the conflict, which could jeopardize security and stability in the region, highlighting the security situation in the Red Sea and the Bab-El-Mandeb Strait.

Sisi updated the delegation on Egypt's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, exchange captives and detainees, and facilitate humanitarian assistance access to Gaza.

The delegation expressed deep appreciation for Egypt's balanced and responsible role in containing turmoil, tensions, and conflicts in the region.

They affirmed the UK's position on the necessity of achieving a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and promoting peace in the region, while expressing support for Egypt's efforts in this regard.

‘Last-minute ceasefire efforts’

With Ramadan just a few days away, mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been engaged in discussions to negotiate the terms of a potential ceasefire in Gaza, aiming to end nearly five months of Israeli aggression.

The mediators are urging for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate increased aid delivery to the war-torn Gaza Strip and enable a prisoner swap deal.

The proposed deal is expected to halt the fighting for at least six weeks and facilitate the release of around 100 captives held by Hamas in Gaza, in exchange for the freedom of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire talks have been ongoing in Cairo for four consecutive days, with the participation of senior negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US, as well as envoys from Hamas, aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement before the start of Ramadan.

Israel has boycotted the negotiations in the Egyptian capital due to Hamas's refusal to provide a list of captives who are still alive.

A ceasefire is desperately needed as UN data reveals that one quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million population is "one step away from famine," with children suffering and dying from starvation.

Since October 7, the Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of 30,717 people and injured 72,156, according to the health ministry in Gaza on Wednesday.

Egypt is increasingly concerned about Israeli threats to launch a ground invasion in Rafah city, which shares a border with Sinai and currently houses approximately 1.4 million Palestinians, a significant increase from the pre-war population of around 200,000.

Egypt has expressed its deep concerns regarding the catastrophic impact that such an operation would have on further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the strip.