Cairo won’t leave brothers in Palestine alone
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi attended the graduation ceremony of new batches of military academies at the Military Academy in Cairo on Thursday.
The ceremony was also attended by Minister of Defence and Military Production Gen. Mohamed Zaki, along with military to brass and a number of ministers and senior government officials.
The ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem. Then, the guard of honour of the cadets performed the military salute to President Sisi.
The ceremony concluded with a flyover by military aircraft, forming the number 50 in the sky in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the October War victory.
President Sisi called for peace and urged all parties to prioritise the voice of reason and exercise self-restraint in the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a speech he delivered yesterday to graduates of Egypt’s military academies.
He said that the ongoing conflict in Gaza derails the peace process which is based on the Oslo Accords and the Arab Initiative for peace.
In his speech, Sisi said that Egypt is committed to a peaceful resolution to the conflict, that is based on justice and the principles of Oslo, the Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of international legitimacy.
The President added that there are parties that seek to deviate the Palestinian cause from its peaceful course towards an escalation and zero-sum conflicts, where there is no winner or loser.
“They want conflicts that violate the principles of international and humanitarian law and infringe upon the principles of religions and ethics,” the President said.
“Every conflict that does not lead to peace is a waste of time,” Sisi said. “I call on all parties to raise the language of reason and wisdom, to commit to the utmost restraint, to remove civilians, children, and women from the circle of brutal revenge, and to return immediately to the path of negotiation.”
Sisi also said that Egypt is prepared to mediate between the parties, and that it will work with the international community to help bring about a peaceful solution.
“I confirm in a clear way that Egypt’s pursuit of peace, and its consideration of it as a strategic option, requires it not to abandon its Palestinian brothers, and to preserve the capabilities of the Palestinian people and to ensure their attainment of their legitimate rights,” Sisi said.
“This is our firm and unwavering position, and it is not a decision we take, but rather a belief that is embedded in
our souls and consciences.”
The President said that this will not happen except through providing utmost protection for civilians on both sides immediately, working on preventing the exacerbation of the humanitarian situation, and avoiding the policies of collective punishment, siege, starvation and displacement.
He added that it is crucial to spare the innocents from bearing the consequences of the military conflict; this is something that necessitates facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in an immediate manner.
“And today, the international community has to assume its responsibilities in this regard for the sake of peace .. let everyone work towards this,” Sisi said.
Sisi’s speech comes amid a recent escalation of violence in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The conflict has
killed dozens of people, including civilians on both sides.
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