Presidents of Egypt, Germany press for ceasefire in Gaza

CAIRO – President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier have agreed on the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Emerging from a meeting with his visiting German counterpart earlier Wednesday, Sisi told a press conference they believe a ceasefire in Gaza would help achieve stability in the region.

“We act to encourage all parties to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,” Sisi said, pointing out that about 40,000 Palestinians, two thirds of whom are women and children, have been killed since the start of the war in the besieged enclave. 

The Egyptian president warned of an expanded conflict in the region due to what is happening in the West Bank, southern Lebanon, Yemen and other countries. 

Starvation must not be used as a weapon against the Palestinian people, Sisi said, noting that this raises questions about the credibility of human rights principles. 

Sisi told reporters that Europe should exert more effort at this stage to encourage parties and pressure them to reach an agreement that would achieve stability and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

He said his talks with Steinmeier focused on the need to find a mechanism to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and release the hostages. 

Egypt is seriously acting with Qatar and the US toward a positive stance with the Palestinians, Hamas in particular, Sisi said, noting that Europe is expected to play a vital role in the process. 

More than 100,000 Gazans have been injured during the conflict, the president regretted, noting that starvation is being used as yet another weapon against the Palestinians in the Strip. This has greatly distorted the credibility and values of human rights that have been a recurrent theme for long years, according to Sisi. 

What is happening in Gaza is “a blatant violation of human rights” that is being conducted before the eyes of an inactive world, Sisi said. 

He added that the meeting with the German president also tackled the situation in Sudan and Libya, warning of risks of dragging the region into further turmoil.