Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi warned against a potential Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, saying it could lead to a very dangerous situation, and the loss of more lives.
President Sisi made the remark on Wednesday during a press conference with visiting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron following their talks in Cairo, pointing to the potential impact on the region, and the entire world.
The declared goal of the war on Gaza is the liquidation of Hamas and other armed groups and factions in Gaza.
However, this matter requires long years to achieve, President Sisi said.
It is enough that so far more than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed – half of whom are children, Sisi said, warning that displacing “Palestinians of Gaza outside their land would complicate the prospects of the two-state solution to resolve the conflict.”
President Sisi asserted that all efforts should focus on containing the escalation in the Gaza Strip while reiterating the country’s refusal to allow the displacement of Palestinians from the strip into Egypt.
“Not only [because] we in Egypt will not allow it, but it is perilous to the [Palestinian] cause,” he assured.
President Macron understands the danger of such a matter, President Sisi said, noting that it would complicate the prospects of the two-state solution to resolve the conflict.
Sisi said he concurred with Macron that “the exit of the Palestinians is not a solution,” adding “[if] the two-state solution has not been materialised while the Palestinians exist [on their land], it is impossible it would succeed when they do not.”
Sisi said that he and Macron agreed on the necessity of working harder to contain it, as well as preventing expansion of the circle of violence, and avoiding further repercussions of the conflict, the MENA news agency reported.
They also agreed on the issue of the two-state solution, as a window of hope, far from frustration and despair, which constituted one cause behind the current fighting.
The two leaders also warned against the perils of the lack of a political horizon for resolving the Palestinian cause, which was one reason behind five rounds of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians, Sisi said.
Sisi added that he had agreed with Macron on “serious” work to let aid flow into Gaza, with enough amounts to provide the needs of 2.3 million Palestinians.
The strip has been under siege for 15 days, with no water, electricity or fuel, posing huge threat to the humanitarian conditions in the enclave, Sisi told the press conference.
Egypt is “keen to play a positive role in the crisis,” said Sisi, while affirming that the Palestinian issue “is the cause of all causes for us.”
He also called for reviving the long-frozen Israel-Palestine peace process, asserting that solving the decades-old problem based on the two-state solution will have a positive impact on peace.
The Egyptian president also reiterated rejection of any attacks on civilians from both sides, while urged an even-handed approach while talking about the victims.
“It is very important that when we talk about this matter, we speak according to one standard,” he added.
President Sisi thanked his French counterpart for his promise to send a ship to support hospitals in Gaza, calling for the need to avoid escalation in the current conflict.
The two leaders agreed to give more time and opportunity to work for the release of more “hostages and POWs” in Gaza, through calming the situation “as much as possible”.
Sisi warned against the dangers of feeding a state of hatred and fury, which needs to be ended to revive the peace process and the two-state solution.
What is occurring now is the outcome of loss of hope in establishing the Palestinian state, he said, referring to other practices that fed that negative feeling, such as the repeated storming to Al-Aqsa Compound, as well as the expansion of settlements activities.
Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s condemnation of whatsoever action that harms civilians in both sides of the conflict.
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