Al-Azhar praises Egypt-Qatar efforts for reaching Gaza ceasefire deal

CAIRO – 19 January 2025: The Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top Islamic Sunni institute ‎cherished the success of the Egyptian-Qatari efforts that led to the initiative to end the ‎aggression on Gaza.‎

An agreement has been finally approved on Wednesday evening to halt the war on Gaza with Egyptian, American, and Qatari mediation after nearly 15 months of suffering and violence that led to the killing of more than 46,707 Palestinians. As per the new agreement, the ceasefire will come into force on January 19 at 2:30 P.M.

Al-Azhar celebrated the resilience of the Palestinian people, their loyalty to ‎their homeland, their steadfastness in resisting occupation, and the heroism of their children, ‎women, elderly, and youth in the face of the horrific terrorism ‎they have endured, according to a statement released by Al-Azhar Sheikhdom on Thursday.

Al-Azhar said it prays to Allah the Almighty to make the blood of the martyrs a step towards the ‎establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and theq restoration of ‎all Palestinian rights, lands, and resources. 

It affirmed that “the sacrifices of Gaza’s martyrs will ‎remain engraved in the history of the nations’ struggle against injustice, and - Allah willing - they shall remain a source of inspiration for the ongoing Palestinian ‎struggle until the full restoration of Palestinian rights.‎”

Furthermore, Al-Azhar called on all the righteous people of the world to mobilize relief ‎efforts to support the Palestinian people, by swiftly organizing medical aid convoys and ‎humanitarian assistance, and taking all necessary actions to save the injured.

Al-‎Azhar assured that all its hospitals are fully prepared to receive the wounded and handle ‎critical cases, in addition to intensifying its relief efforts through the EHZCH as part of the ‎Egyptian efforts to support the Palestinian people. “This is the least Al-Azhar can offer ‎this grieving nation,” the statement read.

Egypt, Qatar, US will continue their meetings in Cairo to monitor ceasefire implementation mechanism in Gaza. It is worth noting that all parties worked continuously for 411 days to stop the war machine in the Gaza Strip.

According to an official Egyptian source, Egypt is preparing to enter the largest amount of aid to the Gaza Strip to support its people. Coordination is still ongoing regarding the opening of the Palestinian Rafah crossing for the entry of international aid to improve the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed reaching the ceasefire agreement in Gaza Strip after “hard efforts for more than a year, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.”

“With this deal, I stress the importance of expediting the entry of urgent humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, to confront the current catastrophic humanitarian situation, without any obstacles, until sustainable peace is achieved through the two-state solution, and for the region to enjoy stability, security, and development in a world that is large enough for everyone,” El-Sisi stated.

Additional reporting by Aya Samir