Egypt’s president to receive Dutch PM for talks on Gaza ceasefire efforts on Wednesday

CAIRO – 13 March 2024: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is set to meet with Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts for a Gaza ceasefire.

Rutte is currently in Israel as part of his two-leg tour, with Egypt being the second stop.

He recently held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which they addressed the issue of humanitarian aid delivery, as reported by Netanyahu's office.

Netanyahu expressed gratitude to the Netherlands for freezing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the primary agency providing aid to Gaza and serving millions of Palestinian refugees.

Since January, the European Union and several countries, primarily European, have suspended their financial support to UNRWA due to allegations of some of its employees being involved in the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel.

Egypt has consistently expressed its rejection of the donors' decision to suspend funding to UNRWA, emphasizing that such a move undermines the basic rights of the Palestinian people by compelling the agency to halt its operations.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Egyptian Presidency announced that Sisi and Rutte will discuss Egypt's ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid to the population in the strip.

They will also tackle bilateral relations between Egypt and the Netherlands, as well as regional developments, according to the Presidency.

The Dutch government stated that Rutte will emphasize the immediate need for a cessation of hostilities and the release of all captives held in Gaza during his visits to Egypt and Israel.

He will also stress the importance of preventing regional escalation and achieving a sustainable solution to the crisis in Gaza.

During his meeting with Sisi, Rutte will discuss Egyptian-Dutch cooperation in various fields, including the economy, green hydrogen, and immigration, added the Dutch government.